Magical Whip Girl Pretty LottenChan
by Yusei
Summary: The journey of a woman in a distant town, growing as new challenges come her way. Including the desire to make her feelings known to a special someone. Pure crack, chapter 1 revised.
1. Chapter 1

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's - Magical Whip Girl Pretty Lotten-Chan**

by Yusei

_**Summary -** "__The journey of a woman in a distant town, growing as new challenges come her way. Including the desire to make her feelings known to a special someone. Pure crack_".  


___**Disclaimer - **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A / N - **This is really the result of an in-joke gone wrong. During a conversation on MSN, there were jokes about how Lotten grabbed Yusei's chin during Episode 88 and things went downhill from there. There is a warning that go with this story; it's pure crack and will potentially decrease the IQ of readers. Completely AU and despite being referreed to as women, Lotten and Malcolm are still men. I didn't come up with the plot, it's a result of the friend who joked about the initial concept, who also instructed that the characters be written with their full role rather than their normal name. As a final note, I'd rather not people question my sanity in this, it's a joke and I felt myself slowly dying inside with each sentence. Regardless, if you dare to read, I hope you can find it an amusing little tale._

* * *

**Episode 1: I Am Magical Whip Girl~ Lotten-Chan~**

Sunlight poured through the window into Lotten-Chan's room. Morning had come to Cracktown. With the sun's rays on her, Lotten-Chan's face screwed up as though someone had yelled at her. Her eyes opened slowly and her body automatically dragged itself up. She stretched, waking various parts of her body that were still sleeping and listened for the cracks from her arms to signal their wakening. Crossing the room, Lotten-Chan seized the neatly folded uniform and exited the bedroom, making her way into the bathroom.

A few minutes later, she emerged again, feeling refreshed and much chirpier. Her hair had been tied into her usual small ponytail, bouncing with each step towards her room that followed. Once back, she seized a journal lying in the upper drawer of the bedside table and flicked through the entries of the past days; accounts of joyful and pleasant experiences involving her friends and crush. The stream of entries came to an end, leading up to the passage from the night before. Lotten-Chan's eyes lit up as she reread each word of the day before.

According to the entry, Lotten-Chan had been on her way to meet her friends during lunch break when she encountered Yusei-kun, a young pale man compared to the locals who had transferred into Cracktown some time ago. Yusei-kun's father had previously owned "Team Satisfaction"; what they called a 'massage parlour' when giving their backstory. But things declined into chaos and Yusei-kun's father was left ruined, bringing about their move to the isolated town. Yusei-kun had initially come alone, but his father persisted and followed his son to the town, leading then to the recent appearance of the town's latest citizen: Bad Kiryu Man. The entry strayed from the above and focused instead on the meeting with Nico and West that followed later. Lotten-Chan's diary rarely spoke of Yusei-kun's history, but rather their days of meeting at lunch and talking about more joyful topics, such as where in town would have the best taiyaki. Yusei-kun had suggested somewhere not to far from school, much to Lotten-Chan's delight. Together, they sang _"Oyage! Taiyaki-kun"_ before parting ways.

Pleased with the entry, Lotten-Chan pressed the diary against her chest in excitement that another chance meeting could occur. After the embrace, she returned it to its proper place and checked her appearance in the mirror. Pleased everything was in order; she turned to leave the room and descended to the lower level of the Marco home.

As though on cue with her arrival, the balding man that was Lotten-Chan's father spoke up.

"Ah, good morning" he called.

His face was a peculiar sight to those yet to experience it - the features of a human face had been replaced by the kanji for "Oto-sama", altering to match whatever he said and then reverted back to the standard symbol.

"Good morning, Oto-sama" Lotten-Chan greeted cheerfully.

"Lotten-Cham, remember to be home earlier tonight" Oto-sama instructed. "There is an important matter that we must discuss".

"Yes, Oto-sama" Lotten-Chan answered with a nod.

Bidding her father farewell, she parted from the home, carrying a small briefcase-like bag, smiling brightly as the sun's morning rays. At the crossroads in the centre of town, two children stood waving their arms; the girl wearing her uniform identical to Lotten-Chan's and the boy in the male equivalent. The former beamed at the sight of Lotten-Chan and tilted her body in order to stretch her arm to its fullest. Lotten-Chan waved back and hurried towards them, towering over the two by the time she stopped. The three had been friends for some time, regularly meeting during their morning walks to school, they resumed that tradition by walking on together.

"Hey, Lotten-Chan, are you going to try and run into Yusei-san today?" the girl giggled, smirking at her companion.

"Nico!" the older girl barked back, blushing wildly.

"Look" West called, pointing at her face. "She's blushing. She _really_ likes Yusei-monition, doesn't she?"

"I'd imagine so" Nico giggled.

Lotten-Chan moaned as the two shared laughter over her feelings. Their harmless fun would continue throughout the tourney to school; it was a taste of life in Cracktown - minor things would be dragged out because so little happened.

Up ahead, a woman stepped out of the flower shop, the owner's daughter, dressed in the school's uniform and cradling a bouquet of flowers, approaching the trio from under the sign reading _"The Classy Ass"_, she smirked at the sight of the students.

"Are you talking about Yusei-kun?" she chuckled. "Please, we all know that he would never go for a girl with such a large chin".

"What does any of that matter to you, Mean Barbara?" Nico scowled.

"You'll never land a man yourself" Mean Barbara snapped back. "Whereas _I_ have one".

"Who's he then?" Nico challenged, pressing her hands on her hips.

"It's a surprise. But he'll be thrilled when we meet later; our families are going through the plans for an arranged marriage" the oldest of the woman chortled. "Even if we don't love each other, I'll still have one over you loveless twist, prattling along like Lotten-Chan here ever stands a chance of being with Yusei-kun".

Lotten-Chan's brow creased, piling onto a glare directed at the shrill woman whilst she turned her back onto the younger students and strode along the path they had been about to tread. West watched with a more relaxed face, while Nico was seething,

"Don't listen to her, Lotten-Chan. What does she know?"

Lotten-Chan gave a nod, suggesting they continue on their way to school and shrug off the jealous words of the woman; clearly envious of Lotten-Chan's feelings for another while she was being forced into a marriage with a man she didn't love.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

At the other end of the school day, Lotten-Chan stood at the entrance to the school with Nico and West, both exhausted from learning. Any attempt to find Yusei-kun during the day had failed, leaving the three to focus on their usual discussions and planning for the evening. Following the stream of students leaving, the three crossed the courtyard and made their way out of the premises.

From behind, the roar of an engine poured into their ears and attracted Lotten-Chan's eyes back to the schoolyard where a motorbike stormed towards them. Sensing the target of the rider, Lotten-Chan grasped Nico's hand and dragged the younger girl behind her. But before she could grab West's hand, the motorbike rushed past, the sudden growling of the engine and how close it came caused West to topple to the ground.

"West!" Nico cried, throwing herself onto her knees.

West, however, focused on brushing away the dirt from his top, appearing to be unharmed, to his sister's relief. The motorbike purred as it stood stationary a short distance from the three; cold golden eyes watching from behind the visor of the helmet and icy blue hung over his shoulders. When he first appeared in Cracktown, his style had been much shorter, but it seemed he had grown attached to the look of longer hair since then.

"What do you think you're doing, Bad Kiryu Man?" Nico snapped, glaring hatefully towards him.

The man that had almost run down the boy was none other than the aforementioned former business partner of Yusei-kun's father. He showed no sympathy for the boy, watching the pair on the ground without any sign of remorse in his face; he had no time for people he deemed insignificant.

"You can't just run over kids like that; you could've killed someone. You're the older person in this, you should have better than to try that kind of stunt" Nico barked.

Bad Kiryu Man turned from the sight of the two, shrugging off Lotten-Chan's presence completely and revved the engine of the motorcycle. As Nico called his name again, smoke puffed from the exhaust and the vehicle shot down the road ahead. Nico sighed, folding her arms over her chest and pouting at the ignorance on display.

"Some people are impossible, huh…" she commented.

"Some" Lotten-Chan muttered, watching the stream of dust dispersing.

West picked himself up, brushing off the dust clinging to him and insisting to his protective sister that he was fine. Reluctantly, Nico followed his advice and let the whole thing go, resuming the walk alongside the others.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

The door to the Marco home opened, allowing Lotten-Chan back inside. There, Oto-sama stood along another man sharing a similar build. The former turned to Lotten-Chan and strode across the room towards her.

"Lotten-Chan, this is a business associate of mine" he claimed. "You need to get ready to take part in an omiai meet with his child".

"An omiai meet?" Lotten-Chan echoed, raising her eyebrows.

"Malcolm!" Oto-sama called, looking over his shoulder.

From the next room, Lotten-Chan's elder sister, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, emerged. She crossed the room and seized the younger sister's wrist, leading her up the stairs. Three yellow marks ran vertically down her face, a style that had become popular in Cracktown and around her neck, a red scarf sat on her shoulders; a fashion trend she had set in the town.

Once they arrived upstairs, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess snatched the outfit laid out beside the bathroom and brought it with them through the door. The two proceeded with the preparations, making over Lotten-Chan and emerging from the bathroom a short time later. Lotten-Chan emerged in a baby pink kimono with images of roses decorating her robe, each accompanied by small leaves and lines curving around like vines. The rose cuffs of the piece shimmered, matching the material wrapped around the waist and lining both the top and bottom of the garment.

Lotten-Chan's face flushed to match the robe; her hair tied into a small bun and a silk flower sat in the right side of her head, joined by an Ōgi in the shape of a small fan poking out the back. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess led her sister through the house and back to the fathers. Lotten-Chan's face brightened when the associate's eyes rose and fell, examining the kimono.

"I think we're ready now" Oto-sama commented, turning back to his business partner.

The two men opened the door and passed through before the sisters followed. The two men seated themselves, revealing the potential mate opposite Lotten-Chan, the child of the other man: Mean Barbara. Lotten-Chan's expression altered and the blush faded - her father had arranged an omiai with Mean Barbara of all people? The woman opposite smiled at Lotten-Chan, silently mocking, her smaller hands lay on her lap. Lotten-Chan and Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess seated themselves close to Oto-sama, the younger of the daughters nearest to the door. Oto-sama turned to Mean Barbara's father.

"How have you been lately?" he inquired.

"Thins have been well, the store has had a good day" the man replied. "How about you and your daughters? Are you doing well?"

"I have been fine. My daughters seem to be the same" Oto-sama answered.

"I see. That's good" the man chortled lightly. "Lotten-Chan, I hear you're coming to the end of your education at the school; soon to step out into the world of adulthood".

Colour returned to Lotten-Chan's face as the conversation turned to her; it wouldn't be long before she would have to play a role in the discussion. Her cheeks began to glow as a result of the blush, her eyes falling to the floor.

"Y- Yes" she responded. "It's kind of frightening, but I'll do my best".

"Glad to hear it. A fine young citizen as yourself has ample opportunities lying ahead of her in this town" the father chuckled, smiling brightly. His eyes moved to his own daughter, who sat in silence, smiling hollowly throughout the conversation. "Barbara, why don't you say something to Lotten-Chan?"

"Yes, Oto-san" she agreed, then turned her eyes to the kimono-clad woman. "So, Lotten-Chan, how was your day after our this morning?" Did you run into Yusei-kun at all?"

"Oh? You met this morning?" Oto-sama asked, turning to Lotten-Chan.

Oto-sama had purposely taken the focus from Yusei-kun; he had said in the past that he wasn't fond of the boy who came from a troublesome business history - the son of a ruined man was not the kind suitable for his daughter. It was likely that the omiai had been set up partially to prevent Lotten-Chan corresponding further with him.

"We did" Lotten-Chan muttered. "We spoke a little about Yusei-kun and then I was on my way with Nico and West".

A grunt came from Oto-sama, disappointment over the reappearance of Yusei-kun in the discussion.

"You have much better here anyway" He commented, gesturing to Mean Bara with an open hand.

"In your eyes, it seems" Lotten-Chan mumbled.

"Lotten-Chan, it's alright if you leave Yusei-kun in the dust. He's not your type; he's too dangerous, an outsider that comes from a difficult place" Mean Barbara added, tilting forward to catch a glimpse of Lotten-Chan's face, slowly screwing up in despair. "He'll find another misfit one day".

"Yusei-kun isn't a misfit!" Lotten-Chan snapped, jumping up from her chair. And locking her eyes onto Mean Barbara fiercely "You're the one who poked fun at me this morning. You said that love wasn't' important in things like this, but it is! You couldn't understand because you just want to be one better than everyone else!"

"Lotten-Chan…" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess whispered, watching her sister in shock. She had never been this way before.

"I don't want to be with someone like you" the younger sister continued regardless. "I don't need a few dates to work that out; I know that I don't want to be with you this minute!"

She rushed to the door behind her, throwing it open and charging into the next room. Her name followed from several mouths behind her, but she shrugged them all off, bursting out of the home and down the road, wiping away the blinding tears that streamed down her face.

She ran without any real destination, dashing along the roads until she ran out of air and slowed, panting heavily from her mad run. In the small plaza between rows of houses, a stand waited on its own, close to a bench and bushes. It dawned on Lotten-Chan where she was: the same stall that Yusei-kun had suggested for taiyaki. She seated herself on the bench and pulled out a few coins in her possession, concluding they would be enough to purchase some taiyaki and approached the booth.

"I'd like to buy some taiyaki please" she said.

The man nodded and listed a variety of fillings that were available; Lotten-Chan pondered the possibilities and ultimately chose the comforting chocolate filling. The man selected the warm pieces and placed them into a paper bag, hanging it over and receiving the coins from the customer's hand.

"Thank you, sir" she chirped.

He gave her a pleasant smile and wished her a good day. She returned the wish and turned, flinching when she realised someone had been standing behind he the whole time. Once the initial surprised passed, she discovered it hadn't been someone from home, but Yusei-kun, smiling at her.

"Lotten-Chan, you came here to see what the taiyaki is like?" he asked.

"Y- Yeah…" Lotten-Chan mumbled.

She stepped out of his path,, the boy flashed a smile at her and approached the stall, requesting taiyaki pieces filled with red bean paste. The man chirpily asked Yusei-kun afterwards if he had heard from his father since the last time they spoke. Yusei-kun denied that words had been exchanged. The man gave a light sigh and shook his head - he and Yusei-kun met regularly, enabling them to chat so comfortably; that or the man was too friendly for his own good. He handed over the bag, exchanging it for the money. The two wished each other a good day before Yusei-kun turned to Lotten-Chan

"Do you want to go to the seafront?" he asked.

"Y- Yea, I'd like that" Lotten-Chan answered timidly.

Yusei-kun guided her to the edge of the town sitting nearest the sea; the sandy beach extending like the desert that surrounded the town on all other sides. A wall set up to divide the seafront from the town's sand had been erected, Yusei-kun threw himself over it, laying the paper bag on top while he stood on the other side. Rather than imitate the stunt, Lotten-Chan passed through a gap just a few feet to the side.

She returned to Yusei-kun' side, pressing her hands against the wall and dragging herself onto it, Yusei-kun followed suit, smiling at her as they sat beside one another, separated only by two paper bags. He reached out for his, opening it to reveal the fish shaped cakes and removed one.

"You haven't tried taiyaki from that place before, have you?" he queried, looking up from the treat to his companion.

"I haven't" she answered, opening her bag. "I should have realised that there was such a place like that long ago".

"The owner claims that he opened it not too long ago; a few months at the most" Yusei-kun replied.

He bit into the taiyaki clutched in his gloved right hand, Lotten-Chan watched the first bites and then averted her eyes to the fiery sea underneath the setting sun. She returned to the taiyaki in her hands, raising it to her lips and crushed the shape with her teeth. Grateful for the nutrition after her mad dash from home, it tasted much better than her expectations.

"This is delicious!" she cried after swallowing the mouthful.

Yusei-kun smiled at her, glad the place he has suggested pleased her. It was then he cast his eyes downwards, taking not of what exactly Lotten-Chan wore.

"Lotten-Chan" he spoke "is there a special occasion for you to be out like that? Is it your father's birthday?"

"No, no" Lotten-Chan replied with a light chuckle. She inhaled deeply, recalling the intensity of the previous meeting. It had been her father's way of ensuring she would never be able to confess the truth to the young man by her side. "My father arranged an omiai".

"Did it not go well?" Yusei-kun asked.

"It didn't. I fled because I don't need any dates to prove I dislike the suitor my father found" Lotten-Chan sighed. "I'd rather be with someone I can feel great things for; someone I can trust and feel right for".

"Sounds like home…" Yusei-kun mumbled, turning his eyes out to the ocean.

"What?" Lotten-Chan gasped. "You've been through an omiai too?"

"Yeah…" Yusei-kun sighed. "Things didn't work out, and then my father was disgraced because of things with Team Satisfaction".

"Yusei-kun…" Lotten-Chan breathed, watching the boy with a remorseful look. She had no idea he had been through a similar experience before his father's world came crashing down.

"It's fine. It's you that I'm thinking of. I've gotten over my past, but it's your future that's now in doubt" Yusei commented, returning his eyes to her.

"I'll be fine, Yusei-kun" Lotten-Chan insisted, smiling as brightly as the sun .Her heart fluttered at the scene; sitting on the wall facing the seafront. At sunset. With Yusei-kun. It gave her hope that what Yusei-kun would prove himself a true person rather than judging someone on the shape of their face or the size of their chin.

Some distance behind the scene, a lone shadow stood, watching the scene solemnly. There was no grimace that Lotten-Chan and Yusei-kun had met nor was there an ominous smirk that their secret meeting had been rumbled. He watched indifferently; Bad Kiryu Man standing without his motorcycle. Though they bore no judgment, his eyes narrowed.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

An undisclosed amount of time, about an hour, later, the pair returned to the town, re-entering the desolate streets and strolled with little to say to one another. The majority of their conversation had taken place on the wall. Lotten-Chan's heart sank when realism struck, reminding her that she and Yusei-kun had yet to exchange confessions of love; she still secretly crushed on him, yet he hadn't shown any sign the feelings were mutual. The fantasy would always come to an end.

The streets were completely deserted with the approach of dusk, everyone already back in the safety of their homes. That was until a lone figure stepped out of in the centre of the street, moving across the crossroads in the centre of town. Neither Lotten-Chan nor Yusei-kun paid him any attention; he didn't pose a threat, merely walking in the opposite direction. The two reached the crossroads before others emerged opposite them, triggering a sudden halt. Yusei-kun scowled standing defensively in front of Lotten-Chan, who watched apprehensively over the boy's head.

The man standing at the head of the gang was one as pale as Yusei-kun, approaching the pair with a sly grin. His subordinates came to a halt once they had positioned themselves to block any possible escape, surrounding the pair with their cocky faces.

"Who are you?" Yusei-kun asked coldly, ignoring all the others around him.

"My name is Ramon" the lead individual answered; Evil Evil Ramon Guy. "Is this your… girlfriend?"

A blush lit Lotten-Chan's face at the accusation; lost in her daydreams, she vaguely heard Yusei-kun mention something about them being friends, deducing he had denied the claim, much to her dismay.

"So… you're being some kind of gentleman by walking her home?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy asked, stepping leisurely towards the two. Yusei-kun's eyes narrowed while Lotten-Chan moved out from behind him and presented herself by his side. "Maybe you're on a date then? An omiai?"

Lotten-Chan's eyes narrowed sharply, flashing angrily as attempts to uncover their reason for being together fell flat, yet bringing back the recollection of the disastrous omiai she had escaped from. Evil Evil Ramon Guy folded his arms over his chest, chuckling contently whilst feeling irritation from both Lotten-Chan and her company.

"Then you won't mind…" he continued, looking to Yusei-kun, "… if I do _this!_"

A grunt joined the final word and his fist flew forward, aimed at Lotten-Chan. Attached to his fist was what Yusei-kun immediately identified as a knuckle-duster made of hardened plastic. In the split-second window, Yusei-kun threw himself in the path of the fist, opening his arms out to prevent Evil Evil Ramon Guy from trying to divert his attack. The fist slammed into the left side of Yusei-kun's head, throwing him across from the dive and hitting the ground. On the other side of the road, a chorus of chuckles rang out from those supporting Evil Evil Ramon Guy, the Nasties that had ambushed the pair. Yusei-kun's back hit the ground, knocking a weak cry from his throat, his eyes screwed shut tightly.

"Yusei-kun!" Lotten-Chan cried out.

"Oh? The boy wants to go first?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy chuckled, raising an intrigued eyebrow. "I suppose it'd only be fair to give him his wish".

Ignoring Lotten-Chan completely, Evil Evil Ramon Guy passed the terrified spectator and strolled leisurely until his towered over Yusei-kun, his boots by the fallen boy's side. He chuckled as he raised his right boot and ploughed it into Yusei-kun's hip. Another cry escaped Yusei-kun as his body was forced a short distance to the left, landing not far from the wall of the closest building, turned over so that he lay on his stomach. His gloved hands remained on the ground in front of his head, a portion of his face resting against the dusty path. His eyes were forced shut and twitched in agony, jaws clenched tightly as he tried to endure the pain flaring in his body.

Chuckling, Evil Evil Ramon Guy approached the downed Yusei-kun again, lifting his boot and pressed it against the back of Yusei-kun's head, forcing the left side of his face to the ground. Lotten-Chan felt her heart accelerate whilst watching Yusei-kun's face twitching, Evil Evil Ramon Guy didn't seem to care about him or the pain he was inflicting - it was all a game to him.

His boot rose from the back of Yusei-kun's head, rising as he braced the rest of his body to slam down on Yusei-kin's head, planning to finish it all off with the third and final blow. His foot dropped quickly, but not quick enough to strike Yusei-kun's head before a whip wrapped itself around his ankle, at its limit, preventing him from descending further. Evil Evil Ramon Guy turned his eyes, glaring to Lotten-Chan, who stood with the whip in her hands and a determined look on her face.

But her attire had change drastically, wearing a dress that began at the top of her chest and stretched to her waist where a skirt formed, pieces connected like petals of a flower. Along her arms, detached sleeves matched the dress with ends that matched the skirt. Like those, boots that reached halfway up her thighs came close to meet with the skirt. The entire outfit had been coloured a combination of pink with black curved patterns, resembling those that had been on her kimono.

"What the- ?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy called, stunned by the drastic change.

Lotten-Chan denied him an answer, instead pulling on her whip and dragging him away from Yusei-kun. Keeping the whip wrapped around his ankle, she twirled, throwing Evil Evil Ramon Guy to soar into his allies, crashing to the ground in front of them. The greasy-haired man glared at the unusual girl and pushed his back from the ground, seeing her standing opposite having not moved a step, hatred gleaming in her eyes.

"I'm a Magical Whip Girl" she stated coldly. "It's my task to rid this place of people like you, like sending you to the Mountain of Doki Doki. That is the mission the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato has assigned me".

"Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy repeated, raising a suspicious eyebrow.

"Doubt me all you like, but I can simply prove everything by dealing with you" Lotten-Chan scowled.

She lifted her arm, raising the whip above her head and spinning it like a lasso. Without warning, she launched the spinning whip at the men opposite. To her disappointment, Evil Evil Ramon Guy slipped out of the whip's path, those behind him, however, found themselves constricted by the whip, bound together and unable to escape. Lotten-Chan's eyes narrowed as she held the men in place.

"Now to rid this town of you" she hissed. "To the Mountain of Doki Doki with you people".

Around them, sparkles began to glow, dissolving their forms and reducing their appearances to little more than small spheres of light, remained bound together by the whip. Just as the beginning of her assault, she withdrew the rope, keeping the orbs in the trap and began to swing it fiercely. A number of seconds passed and the rotations of the whip increased until she released the end, unleashing the orbs that flew out of their control, soaring towards the mountain situation to the west of the town. Cries emitted from the spheres as they rolled through the air.

Lotten-Chan took her eyes from the orbs, they would be unable to stop themselves before they arrived at the mountain where they would retain their human bodies. Her eyes scanned the crossroads sharply for any sign of Evil Evil Ramon Guy, but there was nothing. Disappointed, she released a sigh and turned her head to find Yusei-kun lying on the ground without any sign of consciousness. She dove to his side, the magical uniform reverting back to the kimono she had been wearing previously.

As she turned him over and laid his back against her knees, she noticed a narrow trail of blood that ran down his head from the spot where Evil Evil Ramon Guy had struck, dyeing the hairs around the impact zone a dark red. She watched over, eyes filling with tears of worry over the extent of potential damage. Moments passed as she shook him and sobbed, calling his name repeatedly over his softened face.

"Yusei-kun!"

After moments of the crying, Yusei-kun's face twitched, eyes opening slowly. He stared above to find Lotten-Chan looking down at him beneath the darkening sky with half-open eyes as his vision cleared, allowing him to decipher the face above him.

"Lotten… Chan?" he breathed.

"Yusei-kun, you're alright!" Lotten-Chan gasped with relief.

"What about you thought? Did Ramon hurt you?" Yusei-kun asked.

"No. I made him stop it all" Lotten-Chan replied with a smile. "Didn't you hear anything?"

"I don't remember anything" Yusei-kun confessed guiltily. "Everything went black after Ramon pressed his boot against my head, I can't remember anything after that".

Lotten-Chan frowned; that meant Yusei-kun had missed the confession of her greater purpose. Yet at the same time, it felt like a relief that knowledge wouldn't drag him into a battle that could turn against him at any time. Focusing on his face, she smiled.

"I'm just glad you're alright. Come on, let's go home before anything else happens".

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Lotten-Chan brought the door of her home to a discreet close, hoping not to attract the attention of Oto-sama or her sister. After the disaster of the omiai, she had come to the decision that she'd rather avoid the pair for the remainder of the night rather than endure a confrontation. She proceeded to climb the staircase inconspicuously, sneaking into her room when it seemed the others weren't home, possibly looking for her in town.

Once the door to her room closed, she gave a sigh, exhausted from the eventual day that had played out like a rough rollercoaster ride. She crossed the room and removed the diary from its hiding place, the same journal she had looked over during the morning. Across the room, a writing desk bore a pot filled with pens and pencils, Lotten-Chan plucked out a pink one with a fluffy top.

As the ritual went, she began to jot down the course of the day's events.

In the Heavens of Love, Justice and Maiden's Pride, the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato watched her apprentice compile her notes: what seemed like a personal journal to most was actually a progress report for the Goddess. The pale-skinned woman sighed, watching the scene played out beneath her.

"She focuses far too much on the boy" she lamented.

She brought up a hand, brushing at the lime green fringe hanging over her forehead from her eyes. Taking her eyes from the vision, the Goddess turned to her associated, a human figure standing opposite her.

"I'm counting on you to guide Lotten-Chan" she uttered firmly. "I'll be watching you as you assist her, Malcolm".

The Goddess' company stepped forward, revealing herself as Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, who bowed before her superior, smiling pleasantly while in the presence of the divine woman.

"Yes, I shall do so" she replied. The Goddess made no reply, but rather watched the elder Magical Whip Girl of the Marco family stand straight before her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – Magical Whip Girl Pretty Lotten-Chan**

by Yusei

_**Summary – **__"The journey of a woman in a distant town, growing as new challenges come her way. Including the desire to make her feelings known to a special someone. Pure crack"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A / N – **__Honestly, I didn't expect as much response as it did, and following the advice of DigitalStarry's review, I'll return to revise the first chapter some time, as well as put together a visual interpretation of Lotten-Chan. Until then, please read and review._

* * *

**Episode 2: Ohohohoho, so You Think you're a Fitting Bride for Me~ Lotten-Chaaan~**

In her room of the large manor that he family lived in, Mean Barbara sat on her bed, brow creased with fury over the disastrous omiai that had taken place the evening before. Beside her, a small stack of papers, files on suitors that her father had turned down before selecting Lotten-Chan as her partner-to-be. She flicked through the pages of the file in her hands irately, glaring at each aspect of the rejected potential mates.

A tap from the other side of the door drew Mean Barbara's eyes from the collection to the sealed threshold. Her eyes narrowed while the door slowly creaked open, revealing a short blue haired woman, surveying the room with her golden eyes anxiously. The woman was the worker employed at the family home; Miss Meido Mikage. The young maid proceeded to pass through the doorway completely, standing opposite Mean Barbara who glared at her.

"B- Barbara-sama, it's time for you to leave for school" she squeaked timidly, leaning forward into a bow as she spoke.

Mean Barbara scowled, her glare of abhor intensifying several times before throwing her hand forward and grasping Miss Meido Mikage's hair, the woman gasped in pain. Mean Barbara dragged her forward, standing over the side of her bed and allowing the files to fall apart against the ground. Keeping a firm grip on Miss Meido Mikage's fringe, she brought the woman to her until their faces were inches away, capturing the look of pure agony across her face as she struggled feebly. Seething that such a frail woman had reminded her of a frequent routine, Mean Barbara spun around, releasing the woman's hair and sending her in the direction of her bed. Miss Meido Mikage gave a weak cry before she landed on the sheets, the remainder of the disorganized file stack nearby sliding across the slight depression in the mattress.

Without paying attention to Miss Meido Mikage's scramble to collect the files immediately, Mean Barbara stormed from the room, heading into the bathroom where she clothed herself in her school uniform.

Once finished in the bathroom, she made her way down the staircase without even glancing to see if Miss Meido Mikage was still in her room. Once her feet touched the base of the staircase, a muscular man approached, black locks combed over the edges of his forehead, the centre beneath the parting in his hair. His thick eyebrows elevated as a smile crossed his face.

"Good morning, Barbara" he greeted.

"Good morning, Pappa Ushio" the young woman responded.

"How do you think the omiai went yesterday?" Pappa Ushio asked. "I'm sorry that I couldn't make it".

"I wonder why you couldn't, you _are_ my other father, after all" Mean Barbara murmured, identifying the obvious retcon. "Things were well between Oto-san and Lotten-Chan's father. Then things came to Lotten-Chan and me. That damned Yusei-kun was mentioned and Lotten-Chan got upset and stormed out…"

Mean Barbara sigh in frustration, pressing the palms of her hands against her hips as she regained herself. About to continue, she sucked in her breath when Pappa Ushio beat her to ending the silence.

"You'll have a day tomorrow to get to know Lotten-Chan" he affirmed. "And while you're at it, have some fun".

Pappa Ushio smirked when Mean Barbara stared at him in bewilderment as he finished, seeing her flush at the gentle hint of how he wished their day together would go. She said nothing in response to the advice handed to her, but instead, seized her bag and walked towards the door, turning to Pappa Ushio once more before passing through the open door.

"I'm off now" she called.

Pappa Ushio acknowledged the lack of response to his words, chuckling at her avoidance of the subject. "Alright then".

Mean Barbara dragged the door behind her until it gave a thud to sound its closure, leaving her free to ponder over Pappa Ushio's words as she strode to the limousine positioned in the front of the house, aimed in the direction of the school.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

In the canteen of the school, Lotten-Chan gave a disappointed sigh. Nico and West turned their eyes across the table to her and examined her disheartened expression. Lotten-Chan had been lamenting over how her pleasurable time spent with Yusei-kun by the seafront had been demolished by the appearance of Evil Evil Ramon Guy. What Nico had been intrigued at was how Lotten-Chan insisted that before those moments had been deemed as a date, bringing a slight smile to the girl's face regardless of the event that followed. Another sigh passed through the older female's mouth.

"It's alright, Lotten-Chan" West insisted. "You'll get another chance".

"Yeah, there'll be other times for you and Yusei-kun to be together" Nico added, smiling at their companion opposite.

"I suppose so" Lotten-Chan sighed, staring dully at her food. "I just hope that I can get a moment alone with him so we can try again".

"You will. And it'll go great" West called, raising his fists optimistically from the table.

"Thanks Nico, West" Lotten-Chan replied, smiling at the pair of youngsters. "You know, when I graduate, I'll miss times in the middle of the day where the three of us can be together and talk".

The siblings turned to each other, watching the other's bewildered expression that mirrored their own while Lotten-Chan stood up, grasping the edges of the tray placed in front of her with the leftovers of her lunch left on the plate. Before either of the siblings could turn back to her and question her on why she had brought up the future graduation, she turned her back on them, only to crash into someone.

The tray crashed to the floor, plate smashing against the varnished wooden flooring, the chaotic clatter was drowned out when a shriek came from the woman that Lotten-Chan had walked into. Both Nico and West widened their eyes when they realised the scene opposite them, noting that Lotten-Chan had collided with none other than Mean Barbara. Lotten-Chan lifted her eyes to see Mean Barbara's reddening face, furious that the food on the tray had been smeared against her uniform, her eyes gleamed with hatred.

"Watch what you're doing, you blind oaf!" she barked.

"It was an accident, I didn't for it to happen" Lotten-Chan protested.

"Yes you did" Mean Barbara snapped. "You did it to get revenge for yesterday!"

Nico and West glanced at each other, both eager to help their friend in the dispute, yet wary about invoking Mean Barbara's wrath any further – it was already known to be a dangerous force to deal with. Reluctantly, the two unanimously agreed, without words, to shrink into the background, certain that Lotten-Chan could deal with Mean Barbara if she could save Yusei-kun from vicious thugs.

Mean Barbara's glare hardened, sending a chill down the spine of both children nearby, the others around had drawn their eyes to the standoff following the crash and yelp that followed the collision. They, too, agreed to remain as bystanders.

"How could you?" Mean Barbara hissed. "Do you really think that I enjoyed yesterday? You stupid brat!"

Her hand struck Lotten-Chan across the face, earning several gasps across the canteen, Nico's hands rose, shielding her mouth as it hung open. Lotten-Chan's cheek glowed as she gazed at the wall that her head had been turned to; the stinging across her cheek was enough to push her to tears ordinarily, to be slapped in front of most of the student body. But this time, things were different. She turned back to Mean Barbara, relinquishing her usual hurt look and struck her back. More gasps followed as the move unforeseen took place, Mean Barbara's among them as her neck twisted involuntarily.

"You shouldn't make assumptions and say mean things about people" Lotten-Chan grumbled angrily.

Mean Barbara turned back to the younger woman, her cheek glowing the same. She hissed, lunging forward and grabbing Lotten-Chan's shirt, dragging her close to her until their faces were inches apart.

"I'll show you who you're messing with".

Cheers roared across the canteen, students revelling in the lunchtime entertainment; a catfight was uncommon in comparison to sparring matches between friends and conflicting boys. The fact that, of all people, Lotten-Chan had entered the ring opposite Mean Barbara was the icing on the cake. Nico pressed her hands over West's eyes, determined not to allow him to see their friend in this way, closing her own eyes and prayed that Mean Barbara wouldn't harm Lotten-Chan too much. The two struggled, slamming into the table beside them, Mean Barbara kicking Lotten-Chan's left leg in an attempt to fell the woman who grabbed Mean Barbara's hair, tugging the locks until the roots screamed.

The double doors to the canteen opened where Yusei-kun and Dinner Lady Martha were chatting cheerfully, their conversation drowned in the roars of the students. The two turned their eyes to the sight, Yusei-kun gasped when he recognized Lotten-Chan as one of the participants.

"What the-?" Dinner Lady Martha cried in horror. "Not in _my_ canteen!"

She stormed forward with Yusei-kun hurrying behind her. Several of the students that noticed her charging towards the two settle down, but the majority continued to maximize their enjoyment of the. Dinner Lady Martha stepped between them, pressing a hand against both girls' chests to keep them apart, both were panting from exhaustion. Yusei-kun passed Mean Barbara and stopped in front of Lotten-Chan.

"What on earth was that all about?" he asked hastily.

Mean Barbara snorted, drawing Yusei-kun and Dinner Lady Martha's eyes, both waiting for an answer.

"It's nothing concerning you, Fudo" she snarled venomously, turning from him.

From a table beyond Lotten-Chan and Yusei-kun, a few girls rose, leaving their lunches on the table and chased off after Mean Barbara, each crying her name. Dinner Lady Martha scowled as she watched the group depart, turning back to Lotten-Chan. She slipped her hand under Lotten-Chan's arm, guiding her into the kitchen close to their backs, opposite where she and Yusei-kun had entered. She looked over Lotten-Chan's arm while she led her into the separate room.

Once the doors closed behind Yusei-kun; Dinner Lady Martha turned Lotten-Chan around to see of any tears in her uniform – there was nothing on her other than a few scratches where Mean Barbara's nails had caught her. Confident that there was nothing requiring immediate attention, Dinner Lady Martha pressed her hands against her hips, raising an eyebrow as Lotten-Chan turned to face her meekly.

"Are _you_ going to tell us what that was about?" the woman asked sternly.

"It's nothing important" Lotten-Chan muttered. "It's just that tomorrow, Mean Barbara and I will go on the first date after our omiai. I don't even want to get married to her".

Yusei-kun smirked over Lotten-Chan's shoulder, amused at the thought of Lotten-Chan and Mean Barbara on a date without their hands around the other's neck – what were their fathers thinking? The two were complete opposites and a relationship between them would never survive. He laid a hand on Lotten-Chan's shoulders which drew her eyes to him and his smile.

"I'm sure everything will go fine" he insisted. "If you're yourself and Mean Barbara is herself, there won't be any masks to cover up what you don't like. You can get to know each other better and look past those details about each other that you don't like"

Lotten-Chan smiled at the advice; he had a point, if they acted like themselves and spent time together without focusing on those flaws, it was possible that they could get to know each other, perhaps grow close as friends. Perhaps there was a chance, perhaps tomorrow wouldn't be a complete disaster.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

The sun shone brilliantly in the clear sky over the segment of Japan where Cracktown would be found, permitting the formal date between Lotten-Chan and Mean Barbara at an amusement park to proceed as planned. Near the game stalls, the two strolled beside each other, their eyes evading those of their partner and they waited for the sun to descend and the date to conclude. Since arriving on the grounds, neither had spoken very much to the other, leaving a tense and awkward silence lingering in the space between them.

In the same manner as their stroll about the amusements within the park's perimeters, the two approached the game stalls with various plush and plastic prizes. Instantaneously, their eyes locked from the corners of their sockets, a fierce glare matching that which was aimed at them. The friction between the couple intensified enough to cause a small electrical surge to collide between them.

Mean Barbara was the first to approach a coconut shy. She turned to the approaching Lotten-Chan with a devious smirk, pressing her hand against the counter to slant her body

"How about we have a competition to see just who is better at these things?" she proposed.

"Are you trying to say that you expect to be better than me at everything?" Lotten-Chan growled, raising her clenched fists. "Is that why you want to do this?"

Mean Barbara cocked an eyebrow while raising the same edge of her lips, suggesting to Lotten-Chan that what she had claimed was the case. The shorter of the girls growled furiously, storming towards the stand and plucking the necessary yen from her pockets, slamming the coins onto the counter. The man standing on the opposite side collected the coins that the two had left on the wooden surface, retrieving two baskets with each holding five small balls. The clerk placed them on the counter before the girls before stepping out of the line of fire, fiddling with the coins in his hand. Mean Barbara picked up her first ball, turning to Lotten-Chan with a confident smirk.

"Don't cry when I beat you" she articulated smugly.

The taller woman turned to the shy, tightening her slim fingers around the fuzzy sphere. In an instant, her arm curved, launching the ball forward. Lotten-Chan watched in astonishment that Mean Barbara had the power in her throw as the ball soared past the coconut placed in a cup atop a post. Mean Barbara growled furiously as the ball rolled down the fabric back of the shy, Lotten-Chan sniggered to the side. Mean Barbara turned to her, eyes blazing furiously.

"You think you can do any better, huh?" she spat venomously.

"Perhaps" Lotten-Chan replied, smirking at her angered companion.

Having been tossed the gauntlet, Lotten-Chan picked a ball up from the basket, before aiming and launching the ball in the same manner as Mean Barbara. The orb passed the coconut, barely brushing the side of the target and falling the same. Mean Barbara snorted at the result, grabbing another ball. Together, the second and third waves of balls flew at the targets, each missing. By her fourth ball, Mean Barbara had allowed her rage to move her, tossing the ball relentlessly without thinking or aiming. Lotten-Chan's smug expression had diminished as she, too, became irritated with the game, but continued with her best efforts to succeed.

Keeping her cool, she hurled the ball, the orb twirling as it travelled in a largely straight line. Lotten-Chan's heart leapt up as she watched the scene for the fourth time, noting how the ball travelled somewhat differently to its predecessors. Her hopes realized as the orb struck the coconut with enough force to knock it from the cup. Lotten-Chan's lips curled into a gleeful smile, the coconut rested on the grassy ground until the owner stepped forward and picked it up gently. From behind his grey moustache, a small smile shone, Lotten-Chan's heart slowed to its normal rate as he approached her, handing her the coconut as a symbol of her victory.

"Thank you" she spoke, taking the husky trophy from the man's pale hands.

The bright smile continued as she clutched the coconut as though it had become a treasure. By her side, Mean Barbara scoffed at the sight, disgusted over how Lotten-Chan could admire something as simple as a coconut when there were several more in front of them, each identical to the one she held. Her clenched right fist shook with rage, infuriated that Lotten-Chan had been able to knock down one of the targets quicker than she had. She snatched the final ball from the basket and flung it towards the surviving goals.

Again it missed and she was out of chances.

Her blood reached boiling point as she stamped against the group beneath, drawing Lotten-Chan's eyes to the fact that she had ultimately failed.

"This game is bullshit!" the taller woman spat. "Why bother aiming to knock down something as pointless as coconuts to take them home like they're some kind of pet?"

Lotten-Chan's right eyebrow rose, suspecting that Mean Barbara's outburst and sudden dismissal of the game had come purely through jealously that Lotten-Chan had succeeded and she had failed; something she hadn't counted on. She turned to face the elder woman, furrowing her brow as she did so, only hoping that minimal eyes had been drawn to the display.

"Mean Barbara, I still have a ball left" she stated. "Use it to try once more".

"I don't need your help" Mean Barbara snarled, snatching the ball from the small plastic container by Lotten-Chan's side. "But on this one occasion… I guess I'll just use what you have left over, just to prove that I'm not completely helpless. This may be relying on the resources you have left, but I'll still prove that anything you can do, I can do as well. And better".

The woman's eyes narrowed sharply, tossing the final ball to the remaining stands. She watched it fly with a look that would have killed a man had she possessed the power. Once more, her attempts were fruitless and the ball fell early, hitting the ground and rolling to where Lotten-Chan's prize had laid. The exposed jaws of the woman began to grate against each other, blocking vile words she could have screamed out of pure rage and instead, only permitting deep breaths to enter. Lotten-Chan stepped from the stand where the owner began his job in retrieving the used balls.

"Let's just go from here" she suggested to her companion.

Mean Barbara turned to her, her throat tight to avoid unleashing her frustration. Instead, she stormed towards another of the stands around them, turning to her partner with the same piercing glare.

"Throwing balls at stuff is stupid, we'll find something more suitable to measure our skills" she hissed.

Lotten-Chan frowned, well aware that the challenge was Mean Barbara's way of stating that she wouldn't give up until she could surpass her in the number of wins amongst the stands. Reluctantly, she continued with the contest just to keep the woman from drawing further attention to them.

Across the stands, the two competed in a variety of tasks, ending with either both succeeding or failing as a duo, one unable to come out over the other. A number of games after the trial began; Mean Barbara was brought back to her wit's end, fists shaking by her sides while her face reddened.

"Maybe we should just stick with some rides for a while and come back to this later" Lotten-Chan suggested, still cradling her coconut.

"Idiot!" Mean Barbara snapped. "What's the point in coming back here when every game will end the same? They must be rigged against me!"

"Why would they be rigged just to get at you?" Lotten-Chan asked irritably. "That makes no sense".

"What makes no sense is how you of all people could win at something that I couldn't" Mean Barbara shouted back.

"It was just luck. I didn't expect it and I certainly didn't do anything to stop you from winning".

"I'm sure that's the case. Just like you 'accidentally' bumped into me yesterday; it's hardly a coincidence that these kinds of things happen to me when you're about".

"Don't blame me because you couldn't do something!"

"I'll blame you all I want. It's your fault!"

"You're just afraid to admit that you can't succeed at everything – inside or outside of Cracktown" Lotten-Chan huffed, turning her back on the taller woman.

Mean Barbara snorted at the claim, mirroring the action in turning her back to the other. Simultaneously, they stormed away in opposite directions without looking back at the other.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

In the murky cave that he had made his lair, Evil Evil Ramon Guy's mad cackle reverberated in the dim space. He sat in what resembled a throne, something he planned to sit upon once he overthrew Lotten-Chan and avenged those that he had lost during his last encounter with the Magical Whip Girl. Standing on the ground exposed by the rocks piled to raise the throne, a robed assistant approached him, his eyes concealed by the shadows of the hood.

"Ramon-tama" he called, his voice returning in the form of a discreet echo.

"What is it?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy asked, turning his head in the direction of his nameless follower.

"You've been speaking about this plan to get rid of Lotten-Chan, but you haven't give us any details as to what this scheme is" the man claimed. "What exactly _is_ this plan?"

"Well, you see…Lotten-Chan is stronger than I expected her to be" Evil Evil Ramon Guy mused with a smirk. "So I've decided that I'm going to unleash a surprise upon her as revenge. I've hired an assassin known as Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku to find and attack her".

"Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku?" the assistant echoed. "Where is he positioned now?"

Evil Evil Ramon Guy removed his eyes from the robed man standing beneath, smirking at the rock wall in front of him without any clear target for his eyes. "I'm sure he will be ready to pounce whenever he finds Lotten-Chan, I have my complete trust in him".

On the other end of a Whip Cut, Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku stood in front of one of the many stands at the amusement park, dressed in a black t-shirt with the word "**Monkey**" printed in brown letters above the picture of a banana, accompanied by jeans. The tip of his forefinger was inches from his mouth as he stared with the lone extended finger pointed at his mouth in awe at a cuddly monkey sitting on the shelf of the stall in front of him.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Glaring at the ground as she stormed along, Mean Barbara exclaimed her reasons for hating Lotten-Chan, no longer caring who looked and what they thought of her. She came to a swift halt, her foot tapping the ground and began to think of the people that had cheered during her fight with Lotten-Chan. What did people really think of her?

She spent a lot of time angry over many things, most small and insignificant. Maybe people wanted to see her lose to Lotten-Chan, and maybe that was why she was losing. Because she was too focused on being the best and angry if she wasn't. Her forehead furrowed in frustration, she couldn't make heads or tails of the matter.

"Stupid brat" she hissed, thinking of the calmer female.

From a nearby stall, a dark skinned man approached Mean Barbara from behind, having heard her rants about the girl. He paused just behind her, his shadow falling to the side.

"Excuse me, did I hear you right?" he asked. "Were you talking about Lotten-Chan?"

Mean Barbara turned around, her eyes narrowed into a glare when she heard a strange voice familiar with the other one. She froze when her body turned to face the man, unknowingly face-to-face with Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Lotten-Chan's face fell beneath the water's surface, her jaws snapping for apples, but her gargantuan chin prevented her from getting far. She stood up, dejected that she couldn't play the game effectively and wiped her damp face. The stall manager leaned against the nearby counter and chuckled.

"I'm surprised that you can get your head in there at all with a chin like _that_" he laughed.

Lotten-Chan's cheeks swelled as she pouted, turning away and walking off, carrying her coconut in a small handbag she had brought from a nearby gift shop. She had come towards the end of the alley of games, eager to head into the main park and enjoy some rides without Mean Barbara to sour the mood with her temper and competitiveness.

Nearby, a small monkey hobbled towards her, emitting infrequent noises. Its approach caught Lotten-Chan's eye, she stared in bewilderment as it stumbled towards her. It stopped when it registered itself in front of her, revealing its robotic characteristics, its eyes and mouth flashed in a light blue colour against a face of black. It somewhat resembled a certain other robotic monkey with pointed hair at the top of his head.

"_Bzzt, bzzt_" it sounded. _"You are Lotten-Chan, yes?"_

"I am…" Lotten-Chan mumbled, dumbfounded.

"_Identification confirmed. Loading sound file"_ the monkey chanted robotically. _"Greetings, Lotten-Chan. Your friend has been kidnapped. If you wish to save her, come to the abandoned ghost train 'Call of the Haunted' and just try it"_.

"Mean Barbara's been kidnapped?" Lotten-Chan gasped in horror, leaning towards the monkey.

"_This messenger will self-destruct in five seconds"_.

Lotten-Chan gasped and darted past the artificial chimp. It turned around, watching as she dashed towards the amusement park.

"_Sike"_.

Oblivious to the fact that the messenger had lied about one thing, Lotten-Chan continued hastily through the wide paths, able to avoid crashing into people. While she didn't like Mean Barbara, she couldn't just let her suffer. Especially if this had something to do with Evil Evil Ramon Guy; it couldn't be a coincidence – it had only been a few days since he attacked her and Yusei-kun.

When she arrived outside the abandoned site, grey clouds were beginning to hover towards the amusement park. Lotten-Chan, tired from the running, leaned over and began to pant heavily. When she caught her breath, she glared up at the entrance to the horror ride, stepping towards it and into the shadows. The inside of the cavern was dark, lit only by small streams of sunlight through the cracks of the roof, and eerily silent. Lotten-Chan looked around for any sign of the captive.

"Mean Barbara" she called.

"Lotten-Chan?" the familiar voice responded.

A spotlight flared, showing Mean Barbara tied in a cart on the tracks of the ride. Lotten-Chan made her way to the woman, climbing into the front seat of the cart and fiddling with the ropes that kept Mean Barbara down. The pair froze when the car jolted, rolling forward along the steel tracks. Lotten-Chan gasped, looking ahead of her as the twin doors moved closer. No, _they_ were the ones moving.

"I thought this ride was broken" she called.

"Obviously not" Mean Barbara scowled, rolling her eyes.

The cart threw the doors open, revealing a dark corridor ahead, coffins either side of the girls. The lids slid off, ghouls and undead beings rising. Lotten-Chan shrieked in terror, her hair standing on end. The creatures moaned and howled, circling around their graves. Lotten-Chan crouched down, throwing her arms over her head and closing her eyes, whining for the ride to stop, reverse or otherwise just be over. Mean Barbara's jaws grated against each other, watching her so-called 'saviour' cowering in terror at a simple ride designed to scare children and those with faint hearts. She inhaled to snap at the crouched young woman when a laugh reverberated throughout the dim section. Both of the riders looked up, seeing a man close to blending into the darkness standing above the doorways opposite.

"So this is the ferocious Magical Whip Girl that stands in that Evil Evil Ramon Guy's way" he chuckled.

"Who are you?" Lotten-Chan asked, rising from her fearful pose.

"I am Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku" the dark skinned man declared. "And I have been sent by Evil Evil Ramon Guy to take you out after some mishap when you two last met".

"So you decided to trap an innocent person to lure me here?" Lotten-Chan growled, standing in the car.

"I figured that taking your friend would be suitable enough bait" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku smirked.

"I don't like Mean Barbara, we're more like rivals or enemies" Lotten-Chan protested. "But as a Magical Whip Girl, I have a duty to protect innocent people like her. I have to put people like her first – _that's_ why I came".

Mean Barbara stared at Lotten-Chan from her place in the back, the talk of 'Magical Whip Girls' had her lost, the two sounded like they were talking nonsense and had set up the whole thing to weird her out. But her doubts were blown apart when Lotten-Chan began to glow, her outfit changing – her clothes had changed to the same pink dress she had worn when she faced Evil Evil Ramon Guy, the petal-like bottom of the dress waved. In her hand, a whip had been wrapped around her knuckles. She threw her arm back, launching the other end of the whip at the man standing atop the doorway opposite. He dodged it, dropping down on the front of the cart before the doors opened.

The light of the small outside turn blinded both Lotten-Chan and Mean Barbara for a moment until they passed through the next set of doors and back into darkness. When they looked back at Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku, he had changed. He had become a large ape with maroon hair across his body and grey skin. On his shoulders, large ash0grey shoulder armour pieces had appeared, with a blue cape falling just to above his feet. Over his legs, a black piece hung decorated with golden patterns. His eyes glowed red briefly as he smiled, showing off his pointed teeth.

"What- ?" Lotten-Chan gasped.

"This is my Nasty Form – Demonic Monkey King Zeman!" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku roared proudly. "In this form, I'm invincible".

"We'll see about that" Lotten-Chan growled, lunging forward with her whip.

The ape dodged, grinning as he turned to her.

"You know; there are two 'worlds' of monkeys: the Old World, which are native in Africa and Asia, and the New World, native in Central and South America" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku stated.

"Huh?" Lotten-Chan sounded, tilting her head. "What are you on about?"

"It's simply trivia on monkeys" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku chuckled. "It seems that people like you aren't educated enough to understand about the creatures that evolution states we evolved from".

"I didn't come here for a lesson in monkey history" Lotten-Chan growled, lunging forward again.

Her arm whirled around, launching the end of her whip towards the ape, who leapt up and hovered over Lotten-Chan's head for what felt like much longer than it was.

"That's the problem with you" he laughed. "There are 264 known species of monkeys, yet you only care about yourself. What about all those primates being slaughtered for food in Africa, China and Southern Asia?"

Lotten-Chan stared at Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku as he descended, slamming into her and knocking her down. From her seat in the back, Mean Barbara struggled against the ropes, feeling that any hope in being rescued had died long ago. When Lotten-Chan was able to stand again, stretching a portion of her whip between her hands, she noticed her companion wiggling in a vain attempt of freedom.

"Mean Barbara…" she muttered.

"What are you doing?" Mean Barbara shouted irately. "Why don't you just knock him off or something? What the _hell_ is all this anyway?"

"I'm a Magical Whip Girl" Lotten-Chan responded. "I have to fight this guy; he's a Nasty and will threaten everyone if I don't. I've got to use this whip to banish him to the Mountain of Doki Doki so that he won't be around to threaten people. Don't worry, I'll save you and get him out of our way".

A faint blush lit Mean Barbara's face as she took in just what it was that Lotten-Chan had told her, but just as quickly as it appeared, she began shaking

her head fiercely and hardening her glare at the Magical Whip Girl.

"Then why are you struggling?" she snapped. "You should be able to take this guy out without any problem if you have super powers".

"I believe not. Hanuman of the Hindu divinities will embrace me and, together, we'll overpower you like nothing before" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku declared confidently. "Prepare for your end, Magical Whip Girl".

Lotten-Chan narrowed her eyes, glaring at the ape ahead of her. There was a way that she could potentially stop the attack, but it was risky. Using his babbling of monkey-related trivia, she could let him rant while she extended her whip and trap the entire Ghost Train in a large attack, but it would involve harming both herself and Mean Barbara. She glanced over her shoulder, as a Magical Whip Girl, she could take it, but Mean Barbara was a different story. Mean Barbara cocked a suspicious eyebrow.

"What do you think you're doing?" she bellowed. "Are you that soft that you can't even risk hurting someone on the outside even if it means finishing off the enemy? Are you really that weak? I wonder what on Earth makes you a Magical Whip Girl if that's the case. If I was standing in your place and someone was here instead of me, I'd do whatever you're planning for the sake of that person".

Lotten-Chan's eyebrows rose, immediately she understood what Mean Barbara was doing – she was giving the go ahead to Lotten-Chan's plan. She turned to Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku, furrowing her forehead sternly as she did so. Opposite her, Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku grinned, showing off his pointed teeth once again, his arms opened up.

"Come forth, my monkey brethren!" he hollered.

Through small orbs of light, robotic monkeys emerged just like the one that had informed Lotten-Chan of the situation. Dozens of mechanical primates, leaping onto the front of the cart. Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku smirked, with so many monkeys; Lotten-Chan was left outnumbered to a great degree.

"Unlike you, I have divine monkeys watching over me, guiding me" he chuckled. "Mizaru, Kikazaru and Shizaru; those which _'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil'_ won't allow you to win".

"Oh come on, you really believe monkeys like that exist?" Lotten-Chan called. "What did you do, read it off some website and take it for truth? There's no way there's three monkeys together like that".

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Elsewhere, three monkeys sat together in a cage; one with spiked grey hair of two shades with a metal path over his right eye, another with brown hair draped down its back with an identical patch over his left and the other seemingly bald of extra hair, his mouth covered by a third metallic patch. The trio stared at a machine holding food, part of a laboratory experiment. The grey haired monkey moved towards the edge of the cage, clenching his fists before looking over his shoulder at the others.

"Explain to me why we don't just smash it apart?" he asked.

The smallest responded with a shrill laugh, amused by the suggestion,

"Sure, sure, Placido, that'll work wonders" he cackled.

"Shut up, Lucciano!" Placido snapped, bearing his teeth. "Mouthy little shit…"

Lucciano cackled madly again, looking to the final, much larger monkey who hadn't responded to either of the younger pair's words.

"Hey, hey, Jose. Come on" Lucciano beckoned. "Stop planning and watch Placido fail again".

Jose did nothing. Placido cringed when Lucciano resumed his cackling.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Lotten-Chan glared at Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku, his summoning dozens of robotic monkeys could make her plan even more difficult to achieve; perhaps he knew that he had pushed another obstacle in the way. Regardless, Lotten-Chan twirled her whip, launching the end forward. It began to snake its way around the train. Several of the monkeys in the path of the whip were struck, the whip driving through them and resulting in small explosions.

At the loss of several of his minions, Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku snarled viciously; even made of nuts and bolts, the destruction of his primate allies provoked his temper like poking at an irritated dog with a stick. Lotten-Chan released the end of her whip, which completed the circuit around the train; her arms fell by her sides as she glared up at her foe.

Around the train, the whip began to spin rather than fall lifelessly onto the ground. Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku raised an eyebrow at the turn of events and moved his focus to Lotten-Chan whose hands remained open, fingers stretched to their physical limits.

"Just what do you think you're doing?" he called.

"I'm stopping you from harming innocent people" Lotten-Chan responded sternly. "I'm carrying out my duty as a Magical Whip Girl".

The whip levitated only by Lotten-Chan's magical power began to spin faster, completing laps around the cart more quickly than the last. Gusts roared from the rapid movement, unleashing a spray of Lotten-Chan's power that struck the robotic monkeys, destroying those that had survived the first attack. Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku bellowed as he was struck several times.

The attack came to a gradual end, resulting in the cart's halt and Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku falling against the group in a motionless heap. Mean Barbara, rendered weak by the attack, sat up, setting her eyes on the Nasty who hadn't been able to change back into his human form.

"Is he… dead?" she asked.

"No. Not dead" Lotten-Chan responded, seizing the end of her whip which had dropped to the ground. "But he won't be able to stop me from finishing things off".

She threw the leather end of her whip forward, wrapping it around the fallen Nasty, who then turned into an orb of light. Mean Barbara gazed at the sight in awe, watching in disbelief as the large ape disappeared and a glowing sphere grew where he had been. Lotten-Chan turned in the direction of the distant Mountain of Doki Doki, launching the light towards it. It soared through the skies, heading to the destination chosen by the Magical Whip Girl's power.

With the deed done, Lotten-Chan's clothes reverted back to those that she had been wearing earlier on in the day and returned to the train, fumbling with the ropes around Mean Barbara. Within a couple of minutes, Mean Barbara was free. Lotten-Chan draped her arm over her shoulder, helping her out of the cart. Despite the help, Mean Barbara remained silent, seemingly unconcerned about her pride. Behind them, fragments of the ceiling crashed against the ground – the abandoned ride was beginning to collapse after the lack of maintenance had finally caught up to it, the process quickened by the battle.

The duo rushed towards the nearest exit, throwing the doors open. Mean Barbara's eyes instinctively shut when the afternoon sun greeted their return, but Lotten-Chan continued regardless. The crashes of roofing meeting the floor continued behind them, growing louder and move violent. Ahead of them, sirens wailed.

A handful of police cars pulled up, Pappa Ushio appearing from the closest, rising from behind the passenger door. Recognising the limping pair as Mean Barbara and Lotten-Chan, he dashed towards them.

"Mean Barbara!" he called.

Lotten-Chan came to a halt, sinking to her knees and releasing Mean Barbara's arm. The elder female moved her eyes from her company to her second father rushing towards them. He came to a sudden halt in front of them and descended to one knee.

"What on Earth happened? What were you two doing in there?" he snapped.

"It was my fault – Mean Barbara wanted to see if the ride was working and it wasn't. I went in to see if maybe there was a line inside" Lotten-Chan claimed, beating any attempt Mean Barbara made to explaining what had happened. She looked at the other girl, who watched her in surprise, and silence. "Then the place started to act up and the roof began to collapse, Mean Barbara came in and found me. She was the one that got me out".

Pappa Ushio looked to Mean Barbara. "Is this true?"

Mean Barbara turned to him, taking a moment to string together two words. Failing to bring herself to confirm Lotten-Chan's story verbally, she responded with a reluctant nod, Pappa Ushio smiled.

"It's a good thing you're both okay" he muttered cheerfully. "Come on, I'll get you two to the hospital".

"I'm fine, Pappa Ushio, but I'd like to come for Mean Barbara" Lotten-Chan called.

"It'd be a good idea for you to get yourself checked over at the hospital" Pappa Ushio suggested.

Lotten-Chan nodded in response, there was no arguing with the head of police. Pappa Ushio rose from the ground, holding his hand out for the girls to take; Mean Barbara grabbed his hand while Lotten-Chan picked herself up. From the shadows across the clearing, hiding behind trees planted opposite the ghost train, Bad Kiryu Man stood, watching everything,

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

A couple of hours later, Lotten-Chan stood in Mean Barbara's room in the hospital. After arriving, they were quickly separated as Mean Barbara was sent to be checked over while Lotten-Chan had her minor injuries checked. Mean Barbara sat in the bed, the sheets covering the lower half of her body, Lotten-Chan sat in a chair moved beside the bed.

"Lotten-Chan…" the older woman muttered.

"What is it, Mean Barbara?" Lotten-Chan asked.

"This Magical Whip Girl stuff, you can't tell anyone, can you?" Mean Barbara inquired.

"Well… I suppose not" Lotten-Chan murmured.

"So what's going to happen about me knowing?" Mean Barbara asked, tilting her head slightly. "I can keep it a secret if you want".

"I'd appreciate that, I don't know what happens when a Magical Whip Girl gets found out" Lotten-Chan responded with a smile.

"Alright, I'll promise to keep it secret. And, uh… thanks for saving me" the taller of the two managed after a pause.

Lotten-Chan smiled at the words; even though she tried her best to make her sound ungrateful, she felt the sincerity of Mean Barbara's thanks. Mean Barbara picked up on the smile and scowled.

"Don't look at me like that" she snapped. "I can only wonder if all Magical Whip Girls have chins as hideous as yours, maybe that's why they have to keep themselves secret".

Flipping her lips upside-down, Lotten-Chan snarled at Mean Barbara following the comment, it was more than a slur against her, but also against all other Magical Whip Girls. Yet in the back of her mind, the truth nibbled away at her frustration – it was one of Mean Barbara's defence tactics to protect her from seeming soft. Inwardly, she smiled at the glaring woman once again.

"I don't know if you'll accept them, but I brought some flowers" she added, picking up the bouquet that had been laid beside the chair and held them over her knees. "Seeing something pretty is something that you could do with after what happened back at the amusement park".

Mean Barbara cocked an eyebrow, unsure whether to take the remark as an insult or to just accept the kind gesture without questioning the younger woman. Before she made up her mind, Lotten-Chan laid the bouquet onto the bed sheets and rose from her seat.

"It's starting to get late, I should go" she claimed. "You should get some rest. I'll try not to get your dragged into anything like that again".

Again, Mean Barbara remained silent as Lotten-Chan departed, leaving her alone in the room. Lotten-Chan made her way through the hospital corridors, emerging from the front entrance with a grin. She had succeeded on rescuing Mean Barbara, exiling another Nasty to the Mountain of Doki Doki and kept the biggest threat to her secret from blurting the truth.

Ahead of her, a familiar face caught her eye. She flinched upon realising that he was there, and instead, they locked eyes. The man had ice-blue hair and leaned against a motorcycle that he had used to bring him to the site, he smirked upon seeing Lotten-Chan's face twist in surprise.

"Yo…" Bad Kiryu Man sounded.


	3. Chapter 3

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – Magical Whip Girl Pretty Lotten-Chan**

by Yusei

_**Summary – **__"The journey of a woman in a distant town, growing as new challenges come her way. Including the desire to make her feelings known to a special someone. Pure crack"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A / N – **I'll make this quick and applaud those that have made it this far. Hope you're enjoying this, please read and review._

* * *

**Episode 3: Let Me Show You the World… Lotten-Chan…**

Lunchtime at the school in Cracktown had resumed its usual practice, lacking in squabbles exploding into catfights. But rather, the absence of Lotten-Chan was what disturbed Nico and West. It had been the best part of a week since they had last seen Lotten-Chan during that eventual day when she and Mean Barbara fought, and there had been no word from her since that day after they parted on the way home. Since then, West had lamented on the absence of their friend, despite his hopeful claims that she could handle anything that would come her way and, therefore, nothing could be wrong.

From across the canteen, Mean Barbara approached the pair, her eyes surveying the area around them for any sign of the woman she knew to be a Magical Whip Girl. She, too, hadn't seen or heard anything of her since they spoke at the hospital. There was no sign of injury after the incident at the Ghost Train once she was discharged from hospital, so she mentioned nothing of it to anyone. Everyone remained in the dark about everything.

"Hey, you two" she called, to the young siblings, drawing their eyes.

"M- Mean Barbara…" Nico muttered anxiously.

Mean Barbara pointed to the bench opposite them, where Lotten-Chan would usually be seated. "Have you seen Lotten-Chan since last week?"

"You care?" West gasped, smirking. "What happened? Did you and Lotten-Chan confess to loving each other during your date?"

"When will the wedding be?" Nico chuckled light-heartedly. "Maybe you've already had it. Who knew that you would be so worried about her?"

Mean Barbara snarled and turned on her heals; her back to the children. "Forget it, you brats. Forget I even bothered asking. I _don't_ care, I'm wondering if maybe she went to have surgery on that huge chin of hers".

She stormed away, cutting off the laughter of the youngsters immediately. They watched her leave, heading in the same direction she had come from. They glanced at each other, both at a loss for words, wondering just what it was that had happened in the last week.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Across town, Yusei-kun slouched on the worn sofa in the motel bedroom he called home. Retching and moans came from the bathroom situation beside the room, the door close to the beds set up. His father, The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo, was throwing up violently once again. After they had been forced to move to the distant town, he had indulged in alcohol, resorting to heavy drinking to get away from reality. It hardly impressed his son, who was left to listen to the aftermath of his binges, beyond caring by now. His head was in other places; how they had come to where they were.

The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo and Bad Kiryu Man were discussing business in the former's office. The two ran a massage parlour named 'Team Satisfaction', perfectly harmless, right? Apparently not.

The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo was speaking with the belief that everything was going well. Bad Kiryu Man, on the other hand, was unconvinced.

"Can't you see?" he snapped. "It's not long before we have Security on our tails. I swear that head of police-"

"Pappa Ushio" the father corrected him.

"-Pappa Ushio, whatever his name is, it's not like it matters – it's only a matter of time before he catches on" Bad Kiryu Man growled. "I'm certain that he's onto us".

"You don't honestly believe that he could have found out about everything, don't you?" The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo scowled, pressing the palms of his hands against his desk as if to rise up furiously.

"I doubt it – there's no way a mere human could be aware of the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato without help" Bad Kiryu Man snorted proudly.

The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo raised a hand, watching Bad Kiryu Man unimpressed. "You _do_ remember that I'm a 'mere human' myself, do you not?"

"That was a slur against all of humankind, not just you" Bad Kiryu Man retorted, smirking. "Even you wouldn't have known if it wasn't for me".

The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo rolled his eyes, there was no fighting back against the truth. As much as he hated to admit it, Bad Kiryu Man was the only reason he knew about the secret magical world that existed on the face of the same planet. But that's what it had to remain – secret.

A few nights later, it was near midnight when Yusei-kun was attending to his own duties in Team Satisfaction, filing papers. He was in the dark about everything that his father and Bad Kiryu Man were up to, about the Magical Whip Girls, the Nasties and the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato. Unbeknownst to him, three inspectors from Security had infiltrated the building, searching for clues regarding the business' shady antics, men under Pappa Ushio's command.

The stack of papers behind Yusei-kun had shrunk dramatically since he began the work an hour before hand, reduced to a small pile shorter than the cup of milky coffee on a small mat. He was staring at the top drawer which remained open when he realised how tired he was. The weariness was short-lived when a series of gunshots sent terror flooding through his body – as far as he was aware, he was the only person in the building, other than the gunman.

Leaving the coffee and papers, he darted out of the room to avoid the maniac who had broken in. When he rushed past the open doorway to the parlour, he paused and returned a few steps. As he stared through the threshold, he found himself staring at the trio of inspectors lying in pools of their own blood, with Bad Kiryu Man standing in the centre, his back to the younger man.

"What the hell happened, Bad Kiryu Man?" Yusei-kun asked strongly.

The pale-blue haired man said nothing; he didn't even turn his head to look back at the stunned Yusei-kun. Instead, he walked on without any sign he had even heard the young man. He just walked out of the parlour and left the crime scene as it was.

Yusei-kun sighed, his left arm laid along the top of the worn sofa. He looked over his shoulder, as though someone was there, someone listening to him.

"A police investigation broke out after that" he mumbled. "Because the bodies were left in the parlour. Pappa Ushio became convinced that my father and Bad Kiryu Man had slaughtered the men to protect themselves. I didn't do anything – I _couldn't_ do anything. Even if I wanted to sell out Bad Kiryu Man and protect my father, I have no proof that he was the one that shot the men. But Team Satisfaction suffered regardless. Rumours spread like wildfire and it wasn't long before the parlour was ruined. My father and I moved out here to get away from it all and Bad Kiryu Man went off somewhere".

He paused, thinking about the news that had recently reached his neck of the woods.

"Apparently, Bad Kiryu Man has been sighted recently. And now Lotten-Chan's disappeared. I'm just left wondering if perhaps these things are related".

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Elsewhere, Lotten-Chan leaned against the wall of the highway service station in the middle of a desert, beneath the roof of the petrol stations. Unlike her last appearance, she was dressed in she-biker gear, waiting for her companion to show up from the building behind her.

At the hospital, Lotten-Chan had been bracing herself for something bad to happen when she saw Bad Kiryu Man standing opposite her, smirking. She tensed the muscles in her legs, ready to activate her Magical Whip Girl powers. Instead, all Bad Kiryu Man did was toss her the helmet he had – Not like that. Do you see an "M" by the rating? Don't be disgusting. Lotten-Chan caught it between her hands, staring at it, dumbfounded, for a moment before looking back up to the disguised Nasty.

"Get on" he commanded blandly – Don't even try it, again.

Lotten-Chan took a moment to decide just what it was she was going to do, thinking back to the incident at the amusement park and how Mean Barbara had been dragged into the magical business that she was meant to be safe from. She put the helmet on and walked over to Bad Kiryu Man, climbing onto the bike behind him. He revved the engine and they were of.

They remained silent for a few minutes, until the edge of the town was in sight. Bad Kiryu Man looked over his shoulder and back to Lotten-Chan, who then looked back into his golden eyes.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself?" he suggested.

"Why do you care?" Lotten-Chan asked, raising an eyebrow suspiciously. "You going to get a group of friends and come over to taunt me about my chin or something?"

"No, no. I don't see anything wrong with your chin, it's just something that makes you 'you'" Bad Kiryu Man chuckled. "I'm genuinely curious – I've seen you about town a few times, you seem like a nice enough person – and normal, at least compared to a lot of the others hanging around your turf".

"Well, there's not much to tell really" Lotten-Chan mumbled, lowering her eyes slightly. "I live with Oto-sama and my sister – Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess. They're both pretty protective, I don't know why. Maybe it's because my mother was turned into the operating system for some robot thing. But one time, I was the referee for a card tournament for a guy who compensated a lot… it got a bit crazy, but you know, that's what card tournaments are like. Then there was stopping the moon from crushing Cracktown by playing basketball. I once wound up running my aunt's hostel with a bunch of cute girls, and I once helped the church fight a fat man with bunny ears".

A moment's silence followed the autobiography, Bad Kiryu Man smiled when a thought crossed his mind. Lotten-Chan was immediately convinced she had disturbed him by her tale.

"Hey Lotten-Chan".

"Yeah?"

"How would you like to see the world?" he asked. "We can go together".

Lotten-Chan blushed slightly, it was the most daring thing she would have ever done; to leave Cracktown and explore the wide world with a guy she only knew as someone about town. The man that had almost run down West a few days beforehand. She smiled after a moment's consideration.

"Alright then" she answered cheerfully. "Show me this wide world then, Bad Kiryu Man".

They rode off like a happy couple having just been married, searching for a new life. They began five days ago. But now they were stationary in a place with a landscape similar to that of Cracktown. Since leaving the hospital together, Lotten-Chan and Bad Kiryu Man had travelled across the world on Bad Kiryu Man's bike, which had been upgraded in importance to gain a name: Bad Kiryu Man's Magical Flying Bike of Wonder and Amazement… OH and Serene Beauty Too.

They had stopped at the station for fuel after journeying across the globe had taken its toll on the bike, which turned out as using grease and chip fat as fuel.

Once the story of the past few days had been finished, Bad Kiryu Man exited the building, carrying a small barrel filled with the necessary fuel – conveniently, the service station had a café inside the four walls as well. Lotten-Chan watched as Bad Kiryu Man poured the fuel into his machine, powering it up once again. Once he was done, he turned to her, leaning against the vehicle.

"I think it's time to get you back home" he suggested, smiling all the while.

Lotten-Chan's eyes fell to the ground, she felt divided over returning to Cracktown – while she missed everyone, including her family, friends and Yusei-kun, she could already hear Oto-sama scolding her for leaving town for five days without anything. She wasn't sure she could go back to the isolated town, she wanted to keep traveling, to see seeing things that she had once missed because of hiding away there.

"I… I don't know, Bad Kiryu Man" she murmured anxiously. "I don't know if I really want to go back. I mean I do, but…"

Bad Kiryu Man cocked an eyebrow when the words surprised him, he hadn't expected the reaction from Lotten-Chan; while he knew her story, she seemed like someone that was loyal to her roots.

"Well, you know what? I have an idea" he called. "How about we go back and you decide then? If you stay with the choice of traveling more, then you can use it as an opportunity to say goodbye to the others".

"I suppose" Lotten-Chan murmured uncomfortably. "We'll do it your way then".

Bad Kiryu Man smiled and lifted the vat of grease, his eyes fixed upon the opening that would guide the fuel into the bike. He began to pour, Lotten-Chan watched from her place against the wall. From the distance, a Nasty observed the scene from the shadows, a low and soft growl rumbled from its throat.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

The fan seated on Pappa Ushio's desk hummed as it rotated, blowing cool air onto him in fits as he flicked through the pages of the old files on Team Satisfaction. He couldn't be sure exactly why he had gone there, but came to the conclusion someone implanted the order into his brain. He began to consider just how suspicious Lotten-Chan was; she had been there at the park with Mean Barbara when something strange happened and made it out without major injury, and then she had vanished. Perhaps she was in cahoots with the guys from Team Satisfaction. She had already shown a liking to Yusei-kun; son of one of the men, maybe he knew where she was. Where they were.

He picked up a file with two images pressed against the front by paper clips, one an image of The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo and Bad Kiryu Man. He turned the brown thick cover, seeing text about the two and their history, a small image of Yusei-Kun amongst the data concerning the former. Mean Barbara had mentioned how Yusei-kun stood between herself and Lotten-Chan, he had become a naïve barrier again.

And then there were the rumours; words that the latter had returned and was stalking the shadows, apparently seen with Lotten-Chan and a couple of kids on one occasion. And now they were both seemingly gone.

His eyes snapped open and his body shot up, the chair clattering against the ground behind him. He stormed away, making towards the door when the gentle clicking behind him caught his ear. He turned around to see Miss Meido Mikage walking in, clutching a small silver tray with cups of tea on it. The tea didn't overflow, but instead rippled easily.

"Pappa Ushio, sir" she whispered in an upbeat tone. Her smile faltered when she noticed the toppled chair and the fact that Pappa Ushio was standing close to the door. "Is something the matter, sir?"

"No. Nothing's wrong" Pappa Ushio responded, shaking his head. "But, I think something was. I'm going to set it right and put an end to an old case. I'm about to bust something we thought was locked wide open".

Miss Meido Mikage blinked silently, at a loss and without any idea just what it was that Pappa Ushio was babbling about. Instead, she smiled and set the tray on the table and picked up the chair, tucking it in neatly.

"What do you want me to do, sir?" she asked.

"I need you to get ready" Pappa Ushio replied, locking the door.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

The sun was close to the horizon, painting the sky red and orange. Yusei-kun strolled through the streets, approaching the crossroads in the centre of town. He stopped, looking up at the separating paths; this had been the place when Lotten-Chan helped him before, when they confronted Evil Evil Ramon Guy. There hadn't been any sign of him since, so there was no way to find out what had happened after he passed out.

A distant roar began, growing. Yusei lifted his head when he noticed a shadow racing towards him. He moved to the centre of the right path, at the edge of the intersection. A bike rode past, kicking up dust, Yusei-kun raised his arms to shield himself, coughing briefly before he realised who he had seen on the vehicle. He turned to them, sprinting after the bike.

"Lotten-Chan!" he bellowed as loudly as he could.

Ahead of him, Lotten-Chan looked over her shoulder while hanging onto Bad Kiryu Man. She looked over the back of Bad Kiryu Man's Magical Flying Bike of Wonder and Amazement… OH and Serene Beauty Too, seeing Yusei-kun chasing them. She looked ahead of her, tugging on Bad Kiryu Man's shoulder.

"Hey, Yusei-kun's back there. Stop this thing" she called over the engine.

Bad Kiryu Man continued regardless of her plea, contemplating what he should do. He had come back for Lotten-Chan's sake, but he had history with their pursuer. But for her, he brought the bike to a halt.

They dismounted together, hitting the dirty road together; Lotten-Chan turned to Yusei-kun and smiled brightly. Her arms opened and she rushed towards him, ecstatic that he had been the first to greet them; she couldn't wait to tell him how she had missed him over the past week. Yusei-kun, however, rushed past. Lotten-Chan froze, colour gone as she stared at the empty road in shock, tears flowing down her eyes as it dawned that he hadn't charged at them for her.

"What the hell are you doing, you motherfucker?" Yusei-kun bellowed furiously behind her.

Lotten-Chan turned on her heels instantly, seeing Yusei standing in front of Bad Kiryu Man, his head only up to the older man's shoulders. This wasn't like the Yusei-kun she knew, it bewildered her to see him acting in this way.

"I'm not the twirling spinning top man who your mommy ran off with" Bad Kiryu Man taunted, twirling on the spot in a typical ballerina pose. Lotten-Chan could do nothing but blink and wonder what had happened to the serious and cool person she had been travelling the world with.

Yusei-kun kicked Bad Kiryu Man back, who stumbled as he struggled to regain his balance. Lotten-Chan looked back to the shorter of the two, his fists clenched tightly and his arms tense.

"You leave her out of this" he spat. "I wouldn't be surprised if _you_ were the one that set that up, you backstabbing son of a bitch. Maybe you were jealous that my father had someone he loved and you would grow old alone, your hair's already there. And when that doesn't work out, what do you do? You abduct Lotten-Chan, what the hell's wrong with you? Did your brain go with your hair? She's still in school, you psycho. Perhaps you were hanging out with my father and me in order to get to all the girls you wanted. Maybe you want to be known as paedophile by taking Lotten-Chan. Coward. Fucking coward. Your fight's with me, not her. Leave her out of this".

"Yusei-kun, please" Lotten-Chan pleaded, rushing up behind him and laying her hands onto his shoulders. "He's not a bad person, he hasn't hurt me. Or anything else you said he did. I'm fine, you see?"

"'Fine'? How the hell can you be fine?" Yusei shouted; his body jolting with each word that came out. "He fucking screwed my father over. He's a traitor and if I knew you were with him, then I would have sent a search party in the remotest desert there is".

"What are you talking about? Bad Kiryu Man and I have been fine" Lotten-Chan whispered gently.

"Just ask him what Team Satisfaction is" Yusei-kun continued, glaring with all the hate he could muster at the casual Bad Kiryu Man standing in front of him. "He led my father down a path of drugs and stuff like that. He was willing to abandon my father when things got too hot. He may as well have, _that's _why we're living in some motel room; we can't afford to live anywhere else. My father's a wreck because of him, he'll be dead before not long. Isn't that right, you _want _him dead. You didn't this to him, didn't you?" Lotten-Chan looked from Yusei-kun to Bad Kiryu Man, who continued to look unfazed, standing casually in front of them. _"Didn't you_".

"Is this true?" Lotten-Chan asked, moving her arm over Yusei-kun's chest, loosely holding him back as he panted.

Bad Kiryu Man turned to Yusei-kun. "What your father did after those days has nothing to do with me" he mumbled. He turned away, facing the bike that he had ridden in on, his eyes on neither of those opposite him. "He was a bloody fool to begin with. I didn't expect he'd go and ruin himself. Is he that desperate to get away from reality and the fact that _he_ messed up? Face it, Yusei, he's an idiot; always was, always will b-"

Something smashed into the side of his head, bringing his judgement to a premature end. As he fell, he could hear Yusei-kun yelling; he had struck him in the face, punching him while his guard was down. He turned to Yusei-kun, seeing that his arm was still stretched out, fist still buried in his cheek. He swiftly dealt one back, knocking Yusei-kun back as his fist collided with his face. Lotten-Chan gasped as Yusei-kun's back hit the floor, and before he could rise, Bad Kiryu Man pounced on him. The two began exchanging blows.

"Stop it! Both of you!" Lotten-Chan sobbed. She had never felt so powerless.

The two continued anyway, swearing and cursing each other's lives, telling the other how they should die and rot in Hell, how they were either a traitor or a coward, incapable of taking care of Lotten-Chan. But none of it made her feel any better; she had never had boys fight over her, largely because of her chin, but this wasn't the way she would have wanted them to. Tears streamed down her face as she stood by, unable to do anything to stop them, wanting them to realise how they were hurting her.

From the shadows behind her, a Nasty crept closer – the same one that had been observing her and Bad Kiryu Man in the desert from Nowheresland. She was defenceless, vulnerable, distracted. This was the opportunity it had been waiting for. It slithered up behind her, ready to make its move and fulfil its duty.

While turning over with Yusei-kun, putting him on top – seriously, stop that – Bad Kiryu Man caught a glimpse of the towering shadow over Lotten-Chan. Yusei-kun pushed him over, delivering another blow to his face. He glared down at the rebellious opponent and kicked him back, throwing Yusei-kun off of him and onto the ground. Yusei-kun groaned as he laid on the ground, pressing his left hand on his stomach. Bad Kiryu Man glared at the creature.

Lotten-Chan was oblivious, wiping tears from her eyes. A large bang came from behind her, forcing her body to shrink down instinctively. Yusei-kun looked over his raised knee, seeing Bad Kiryu Man with his back to him, beyond him; he could see Lotten-Chan with a Nasty behind her. The creature dropped dead, a large hole where its face was supposed to be. Lotten-Chan looked over her shoulder, seeing it drop down with the large smoking gap.

"You know, if you do that again, we'll have to devolve into a fetid mound of training arcs and stuff" Lotten-Chan lamented, turning her head back to Bad Kiryu Man.

But when she realised what he looked like, she came to a sudden halt; he _had_ been hiding secrets. And what she had just clocked onto was the biggest he could possibly hide – he was a Nasty. The shirt under his long coat had grown eyes, or rather, his chest. His face was hidden behind a white demonic mask with two horns protruding from above his eyes and blue jeans instead of those he had been wearing. The only thing about him that remained the same was his hair.

"Bad Kiryu Man…" Lotten-Chan gasped. "You… You're a…"

Yusei-kun stared in silence, looking from the gun in his hand to the back of Bad Kiryu Man's head, it suddenly made sense. This was the reason he hadn't turned to face him when he killed the inspectors at Team Satisfaction He didn't want Yusei-kun to see him in that form.

"Lotten-Chan, you understand, don't you" Bad Kiryu Man mumbled. "Yes, I _am_ a Nasty. Infernity Death Gunman to be exact. I escaped from the Mountain of Doki Doki some time ago. I came back to atone for my mistakes, I've more-or-less reformed, that's why I haven't tried to hurt anyone; I'm not that kind of person anymore. I promise, I wouldn't lie to you like this again, Lotten-Chan".

Above Cracktown, in the Heavens of Love, Justice and Maiden's Pride, an alarm blared. The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato immediately appeared and looked through a basin filled with water that she used to looked down at Earth. The water rippled and showed her the scene in Cracktown; Bad Kiryu Man standing over Yusei-kun and facing Lotten-Chan, a gun in his hand. The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato gasped, immediately aware of what was unfolding and the danger that not only Lotten-Chan was in, but a human civilian. She began to focus, sending her voice through space and into Lotten-Chan's head.

'_Lotten-Chan, a high-level Nasty has let itself show, you've got to get rid of it. Banish it to the Mountain of Doki Doki before someone gets hurt!'_ she commanded telepathically.

"What?" Lotten-Chan gasped, horrified that The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato was trying to force her to banish someone she liked.

Her body began to glow and transform; her delay had forced the Goddess' hand and change her into her Magical Whip Girl form, Yusei-kun stared in disbelief. What he had stepped into was madness, maybe he had been dealt one too many punches by Bad Kiryu Man and passed out.

"Bad Kiryu Man…" Lotten-Chan mumbled, looking sorrowfully at him. "I don't want to fight".

Like her words had been a cue, her body lunged forward, forcing Lotten-Chan to move against her will. The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato was controlling her and moving her to fight Bad Kiryu Man. Despite her pleas and cries to stop, it continued. Bad Kiryu Man dodged her attacks, but didn't strike in retaliation; he believed her, she didn't want to fight. So he wouldn't either. He smiled briefly at the fact that she trusted him enough to try and evade her duty as a Magical Whip Girl; she wasn't trying to banish him because she valued his friendship. It made him feel good, wanted; the same as when he first met The Artist Formerly Known as 'Hakase' – Hiroshi Fudo.

Lotten-Chan crashed against the ground after another unsuccessful lunge. She coughed as dust filled her mouth and shook her body, finding herself free from The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato's control. Now that she was back in control, she looked to the sky and cried out in protest, her eyes drifting about and hoping they would land on the woman while she looked.

"Please, stop this. I can't do it" she shouted. "I don't want to banish him, he's my friend".

A whistling sound caught Yusei-kun's ears; he looked around, finding a whip coming out of nowhere. How was that possible? Lotten-Chan was standing on the opposite end of the improvised battlefield. He looked around to see where it was travelling, his eyes widened when he realised what was happening. He picked himself up and darted to Bad Kiryu Man, who stood still, watching Lotten-Chan defy her goddess. His legs moved as quickly as possible, if he so much as scuffed his boot, then he wouldn't be able to do anything.

"Kiryu!" he yelled, slamming into Bad Kiryu Man's back and pushing the older man forward.

Bad Kiryu Man glanced over his shoulder, seeing Yusei-kun's arms stretch as they parted. The whip snaked its way up behind Yusei-kun, striking his back. The snap rang out loud, drawing Lotten-Chan's eyes and a gasp from her mouth. Bad Kiryu Man stumbled to a halt, looking back as Yusei-kun hit the ground, his body still, laying much like he had after the attacks from Evil Evil Ramon Guy. Lotten-Chan's eyes filled with tears, she looked to Bad Kiryu Man.

"What did you do?" she sobbed.

"I- I didn't do anything! He came to help me" Bad Kiryu Man protested, his voice soft as the shock hit him.

Yusei-kun twitched – proof that he was alive, just; his eyes had narrowed and solidified, his iris now dull. Both Lotten-Chan and Bad Kiryu Man looked above him, noticing the retreating whip. She gasped when she noticed just where it had come from, finding it returning beside its brother – both in the hands of Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess. She, like Lotten-Chan, was dressed as a Magical Whip Girl.

"Onee…" Lotten-Chan gasped, her eyes widened dramatically.

"Lotten-Chan, just _what_ do you think you're doing?" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess asked coldly. "How could you side with a Nasty, isn't it bad enough that you brought in a human civilian into this matter? I know you care for Yusei-kun, but what you're doing is too risky".

"_Me?_" Lotten-Chan shouted tearfully. "You're the one that almost killed him just now!"

"He put himself in the line of fire after it was lit. There was nothing I could do" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess mumbled in the same uninterested tone. "And for his sake, I'll banish your little Nasty friend there. Oto-sama has been wondering where you've been; if he knew about our duty and the Nasties, who knows what he would say".

"What I offered her was infinitely better than her life here with you two" Bad Kiryu Man snarled, stepping forward.

"What you offered her was nothing of value; you tried to force her on the run with yourself" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess protested calmly.

"You're such an uptight bitch, thinking you're better than me just because you're not a Nasty" Bad Kiryu Man snarled. "You _think_ I want to be like this?"

"Perhaps you chose this way. Nasties aren't born evil, they become evil" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess replied, her eyes shot a bitter glare at Bad Kiryu Man.

"You really are a high and mighty bitch. Give me two minutes and I'll have you laying in pieces on the-"

"That's enough" Lotten-Chan interjected.

Bad Kiryu Man looked to his right, finding Lotten-Chan standing beside him, her eyes hidden in shadows.

"I don't want people to keep fighting like this. Look at what it does" she mumbled, turning her head in Yusei-kun's direction, watching him struggle to breathe, still unconscious. "Bad Kiryu Man, I want you to look after Yusei-kun for me".

"Lotten-Chan…" Bad Kiryu Man exhaled.

Lotten-Chan's head rose, revealing her eyes glistening with fresh tears and a new flame. She glared at her sister with all the sorrow and hatred she could muster,

"Onee, I'm not going to forgive you – you tried to hurt a friend of mine and succeeded in hurting another, regardless of the conditions" she called, opening her arms like a barrier for the Nasty and Yusei-kun. "Just because my friends are people that you and Oto-sama and The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato don't approve, it doesn't mean our friendship is forbidden entirely. I'm going to fight for my friends, even if it means fighting you. And I won't hold back, because I won't forgive you for hurting Yusei-kun. No matter what, I'm not going to let you banish Bad Kiryu Man either".


	4. Chapter 4

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – Magical Whip Girl Pretty Lotten-Chan**

by Yusei

_**Summary – **__"The journey of a woman in a distant town, growing as new challenges come her way. Including the desire to make her feelings known to a special someone. Pure crack"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A / N – **__After a review for the latest chapter, I promise that there'll be another show of the Tenors in the story of Lotten-Chan. For now, the story is about to take a dark turn and prove it actually has a plot; it's not just fun and games. Never mind that; it is. Either way, hope you enjoy. Please read and review._

* * *

**Episode 4: Do You Want to Disgrace the Family Name? Lotten-Chan?**

Pappa Ushio's patrol bike raced through the streets of Cracktown, heading for the Marco home with the Team Satisfaction case files tucked away in his beneath his bike's seat. His eyes were narrow and uneasy as he stormed across the town. What was on his mind was a dark matter – the chances that Lotten-Chan could be linked to Bad Kiryu Man without being aware of his past, putting herself in danger. But his worries didn't end there – there was Mean Barbara and the arranged marriage that that the two families were in the progress of planning; would something happen to his daughter if it was to go ahead?

The road changed to that of Lotten-Chan's street, pushing Pappa Ushio's feet on the brakes, slowing his bike outside Lotten-Chan's home. He climbed off the bike, slipped his helmet off and set it down on the ground. He pulled the seat open and snatched the secret files, tucking them under his arm and transferring the helmet to the now empty space. His boots hit the ground heavily as he crossed the dusty road to the house where the door opened. A young woman wearing a maid outfit not unlike Miss Meido Mikage smiled in the space.

"Welcome, Mr Pappa Ushio" she chirped.

"Uh… hello" Pappa Ushio replied. "Is Oto-sama in? I'd like to speak with him".

"Of course, I'll fetch him" the maid answered, bowing. "Please come in".

She bounced away, leaving Pappa Ushio to stroll in and close the door behind him. He crossed the room to the sofa and seated himself on the edge closest to the door, watching the hands of the clock opposite click without moving.

"Pappa Ushio" a commanding voice from behind uttered.

Pappa Ushio twisted his neck and peered over his shoulder, seeing Oto-sama climbing down the stairs.

"I wasn't expecting you today. Lotten-Chan and Mean Barbara are out, if you were looking for them. Is something the matter?" Oto-sama asked, tilting his head.

"Actually, I believe there is" Pappa Ushio stated with a frown.

Oto-sama moved towards him cautiously. "Would you like some tea while we talk about it?"

"Uh… Yeah, please. Whatever kind you're making".

Oto-sama turned to the maid that had fetched him, flicking his hand to beckon her nearer, she took a step. Then his hand directed her to the kitchen, tasking her with making the tea. The man seated himself in a large armchair, slouching against the back as he settled and then leaned forward, locking his wrists together on his knees.

"What's troubling you about the girls, Pappa Ushio?" he asked.

"What do you know about the Team Satisfaction incident?" Pappa Ushio questioned.

"Only what was in the papers – that some guys got killed one night snooping about" Oto-sama answered. "Weren't they trying to rob the place? If I recall correctly, they were trying to get into the till when one of the employees arrived and they tried to shoot him, only to gun down each other. The guy ran off after that, scared that he'd be accused of murdering them".

"I see" Pappa Ushio mumbled, grabbing his chin for a moment as his eyes fell to the ground.

The other arm snaked around him, grabbing the edge of the envelope and tugging it from under his hand; he moved it to Oto-sama, his eyes dark. Oto-sama took a moment before he understood and touched the opposite end, taking it from Pappa Ushio's possession. The maid walked in holding two cups of tea, with a sugar bowl on the side. She set the tray down and retreated without a word, but smiled and bowed. Oto-sama pulled the sheets of paper from the envelope. Pappa Ushio cleared his throat.

"I think Lotten-Chan may be in danger".

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

In the square, Lotten-Chan and Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess glared at each other across their battlefield. Lotten-Chan snatched her whip from the ground; the weapon she had managed to avoid using against Bad Kiryu Man, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess clutched her twin whips while lowering her head slightly.

"So, onee, you're using two whips. I guess that gives you more coverage" Lotten-Chan commented blandly.

She crouched, ready to dive at her elder sister when the more experienced Magical Whip Girl tossed both of her whips into the air. Lotten-Chan froze, both she and Bad Kiryu Man watching when they began to spin wildly, essentially becoming improvised spinning discs. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess set her eyes coldly on Lotten-Chan, throwing her hand in the direction of the girl.

"Fire" she mumbled darkly.

The two whips spun towards Lotten-Chan, like boomerangs closing in. Lotten-Chan tensed her muscles and leapt over the first one, smiling whilst coming down as the truth made its way into her – she was off to a good start. Her boots hit the ground and she opened her eyes, gasping when the second whip was yards in front of her. She dropped to the ground, safe from the weapon that whizzed overhead.

"I'm not the only one covered" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess scowled. "I covered for you when you dropped off the face of the Earth. I did a much better job than you ever would". Lotten-Chan clenched her jaws as she glared fiercely at her sister.

Behind the sisters' battle, Bad Kiryu Man, reverted to his human form, moved his eyes to Yusei-kun when a groan came from the body. The boy picked himself up and stood beside his father's former-friend, looking to him.

"What's going on?" he asked.

"Weren't you almost dead a few minutes ago?" Bad Kiryu Man asked, pointing at the younger with a confused face.

"Kiryu, it's a Magical Girl series. No-one important is going to die other than the bad guys" Yusei-kun replied with a shrug of his shoulders. "Besides, you know there's a certain company in America that doesn't approve of that stuff".

"Wouldn't they disapprove of a lot about us two?" Bad Kiryu Man commented, tilting his head.

"Yeah, but that's what makes us bigger than random people running around in the background" Yusei stated, looking back to the battle. "You going to tell me or not?"

"Seems Lotten-Chan's a Magical Whip Girl" Bad Kiryu Man mumbled. "She's fighting her older sister over stuff. Over us".

"'Magical Whip Girl'?" Yusei echoed, grabbing his chin thoughtfully. His eyes moved to Lotten-Chan, and through seeing the outfit she wore, pieces of the fragmented evening with her began to return. His hand dropped and eyes widened when he recalled what exactly had happened that night. "Wait, she's done this before". Bad Kiryu Man watched him in the corner of his eye. "She transformed into one of those to save me from some guy a while back".

"So she exposed herself, huh?" the pale-haired man muttered to himself. His eyes moved back to the pair, pointing to the elder and more experienced of the pair. "Their whips marks their rank – Lotten-Chan has a single whip; she's still an apprentice. But Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess has two whips; she's both stronger and has more experience than Lotten-Chan. She's better and overcoming her sister shouldn't be too hard for her".

Yusei took his eyes from Bad Kiryu Man and trained themselves to follow the battling duo. "Lotten-Chan…"

The sisters had cut their shouts and focused solely on taking the other down, only sounding grunts and heavy breaths. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess spun her whips into rings, launching them at Lotten-Chan in a matter of seconds. The younger sister dodged both, slowly learning the techniques of her superior; then realised the flaw in her plan – with both whips spinning free as rings, there was nothing to defend her from a counterattack. Lotten-Chan began to spin her own whip before launching it at her sister, who smirked in response to the attempt.

Just before the strike hit her, the two rings returned like a pair of boomerangs, racing around her in the place of a shield. Lotten-Chan's attack hit and the whip fell, having failed to penetrate the defence set up, Lotten-Chan scowled as she glared up at her sister; no matter what she did, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess had a way to counter it. To retrieve her whip, Lotten-Chan dove forward, evading one of her sister's whips that had shot from her circular defence and sharpened like a spear. As she darted past it, Lotten-Chan snatched the whip from the floor and turned to face Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess; one idea came to mind – the same technique that had taken out Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku.

"This it getting dangerous, we have to do something" Yusei stated on the imaginary side-lines.

"Yusei, we're spectators. We do nothing but stand here and comment on what's happening, isn't that what always happened in the city?" Bad Kiryu Man snorted, folding his arms over his chest.

Across the square, Lotten-Chan darted towards her sister, who was close enough to an emptied building for the technique to work. She leapt up and launched the whip towards the building. Like on the ghost train, the whip began to snake its way around the back of the building, out of Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess' view, she turned to her younger sibling and smirked cockily.

"Either you're tired already or your aim just got worse in the last couple of minutes" she laughed. "You're not going to beat me with terrible throws like that".

"You're so ignorant; you honestly think you're the only one who can come up with techniques?" Lotten-Chan scowled, glaring at her sister.

She lifted her arms and began to unleash her power, transferring it to the whip circling around the building and quickening its laps, spinning faster. The building began to crack and moan, slowly eaten away by the power building up inside of the whip. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess' eyes widened and she turned to find the attack well in motion, slowly tearing the building behind her apart.

"Deal with it, onee. I'm just as strong a Magical Whip Girl as you".

Rubble began to topple, smashing the structure apart and throwing it down onto Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, who watched the storm in horror. Dust rose in a stampede as the debris hit the ground, floating over half of the battlefield. Nobody said anything.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

The low rumble of the building collapsing travelled across Cracktown, reaching Pappa Ushio and Oto-sama at the Marco mansion. Pappa Ushio's neck twisted instinctively to the door, in the direction of the sound. He turned back to Oto-sama and hastily stood, bowing immediately.

"Uh… please forgive me, Oto-sama" he quickly spoke. "I have to go, something's happening".

"Worry not, Pappa Ushio" Oto-sama answered softly. "I understand; you have much work if there is trouble running amok in this town. The police cannot give up their time just to talk to me about my daughter. But I appreciate your coming".

Pappa Ushio smiled and paced leisurely to the door, his hand gripped the handle when he looked over his shoulder to Oto-sama seated alone with the file and cup half-filled with tea. "Thank you for allowing me into your home again, Oto-sama".

Oto-sama nodded in response to the words and said nothing as Pappa Ushio stepped out. Once the door clicked shut, he leapt at his bike and threw his helmet over his dark hair, and then his leg over his ride. The engine roared to life as he panicky kicked the ignition, within seconds of hearing the sound, he was on his way to the source.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Lotten-Chan stood still for the first time since discovering her sister on the scene while smoke billowed from the destroyed building, lying in ruins on the ground. Her heart began to slow; even if her sister was a limb wreck beneath the boulders of cement and brick, at least she could calm down and catch her breath.

"So you came up with a new trick, doesn't make you any better" a familiar voice came from behind.

Lotten-Chan turned on her heels, finding twin whip disks heading towards her. A gasp slipped out of her before she ducked beneath the first and leapt over the second. A sigh of relief was about to part from her when her eyes opened during her descent to find a third whip heading her way. She said nothing as the weapon ploughed into her stomach and knocked her back. A cry was suppressed as Lotten-Chan flew back, crashing against the hard ground ungracefully; whip sliding out of hand. The girl moaned weakly as she struggled to pick herself up, finding her sister standing opposite; not unharmed, but not beaten.

"It's a shame you can't keep up, Lotten-Chan" she scowled. "Otherwise, you would have been able to tell that I'm a Three-Whip grade Magical Whip Girl, not _just_ a Two-Grade, or lower, like yourself".

Lotten-Chan narrowed her eyes coldly as she glared at her sister furiously; she had been keeping far too many secrets while knowing many of her sister's. Trust, clearly, was something valued little in the Marco household. On the edge of the area, a Nasty watched from the shadows, clutching the corner of a building outside the range of the feuding sisters. A shadow stretched out of it and onto the building in front of it, despite the sun's position on the other side of the town, and it crawled through, passing into Evil Evil Ramon Guy's hideout, the same cave he had assigned Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku his mission.

"Ramon-tama" the creature hollered. "Ramon-tama, are you here?"

Evil Evil Ramon Guy appeared through the shadows, setting his narrow eyes onto the reporting creature, who gave what resembled a salute to his superior.

"What is it?" he asked coldly.

"I thought you should know that something big is happening in Cracktown" the Nasty reported. "There are two Magical Whip Girls reaching each other. With that happening, the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato's influence will be weakened as will her power".

"I see" Evil Evil Ramon Guy responded with a devious smirk. "The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato uses the Magical Whip Girls as avatars to expand her own powers. If that fight between two keeps getting more intense, her power will be drained quickly and easily".

He began to rub his hands together, the Nasty, meanwhile, tilted his head. "I know that already, that's _why_ I'm here".

"You do. Outsiders don't". He pointed to where a third party would have been standing had there been one; he had stated the truth about the Goddess' power for the benefit of no-one in the cave.

"Anyway, this means we can launch our master plan" the black-haired man laughed darkly. "And with two Magical Whip Girls fighting, the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato will be far too busy sorting them out to stop us. Come, let's go get things started".

Evil Evil Ramon Guy's shadow stretched out and he climbed down it like a set of stairs were hidden in the darkness. Crossing through the setting, the shadow grew from nothing at the foot of the Mountain of Doki Doki, allowing the Nasty leader and his minion to pass through and reach the prison for their kind. He rubbed his hands together, chuckled through a toothy grin.

"This should be fun".

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Across Cracktown; Mean Barbara, Nico and West all set their eyes in the direction of the collapsed building, having heard the rumbling and identified it as the source. Silently, they feared for Lotten-Chan, wondering if she was at the scene and praying she was alright, whatever was happening. Mean Barbara pressed her hands together over her chest, glaring uneasily at the site and thinking about their meeting at the hospital a week before, perhaps she had finally returned home.

As her sister struggled to get to her feet, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess smiled coldly, pressing her hand against her hips as she watched the pitiful display. The trio of whips returned to her, snatching them as they swung around like boomerangs.

"What's the matter, Lotten-Chan? I thought you _wanted_ to be a big Magical Whip Girl" she scoffed. "If that's the case, you have a lot stronger than me to fight. Then again, I'm not surprised you're not prepared. You don't focus on what you have to do, you're too busy jumping from blind guy to blind guy; a Magical Whip Girl would remember what exactly they're fighting for".

"I _do_ remember. That's what helped me stop Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku" Lotten-Chan groaned fiercely, on one knee with her hands against the hardened ground.

"I'm sure" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess snorted, rolling her eyes. "You couldn't even stand up to a single attack, even though the attack was lighter than it's supposed to be. Perhaps it's time we just finish this off".

The three whips began to soar again, rotating in the air and forming a small tunnel, her arm slipped into the middle, grabbing the bottom ring as she prepared for the final blow. One more Three-Whip Tier attack and Lotten-Chan would be put down for good, there was no fear in the younger sister's eyes and there was no remorse in the elder's.

She was about to bring down the three rings and her arm when Yusei-kun suddenly appeared in front of her, his arms spread out at the side. Lotten-Chan flinched at the abrupt shield and turned her eyes to Bad Kiryu Man whose arm fell; he had tried.

"Stop this now" Yusei-kun growled stoically. "I won't let this continue, you'll have to tear me apart before you deal any more blows to Lotten-Chan".

Lotten-Chan stretched her arms and stood shakily, laying a hand onto Yusei-kun's shoulder, drawing his eyes. He was about to speak when she shook her head, stopping him prematurely.

"No, Yusei-kun" she sighed, moving her eyes to her elder sister. "No matter how much I get beaten down by Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, I have to do this. Even if I lose. She's always cast a shadow over me; getting better grades, more boyfriends, a nicer chin that no-one taunts her over. I have to do this to prove I have _something"_.

Yusei-kun stepped aside, retreating gradually towards Bad Kiryu Man. Lotten-Chan took her eyes from him and stretched the whip in her hands, opposite her, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess dismantled her attack and did the same. They were about to lunge at each other once more when a pounding feeling suddenly rocked their heads and they dropped to their knees simultaneously, clutching their heads and dropping their weapons. Yusei-kun paused his retreated and darted forward, laying his hands over Lotten-Chan's shoulders, Bad Kiryu Man also stepped forward slowly, closing the distance between them.

"Lotten-Chan, are you okay?" Yusei called. "What's happening?"

"_Lotten-Chan, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, in the break of your fighting, I've detected something strange happening near the Mountain of Doki Doki"_ the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato whispered in the minds of the girls. _"I fear that Evil Evil Ramon Guy is up to something – he must be trying to unleash all the Nasties trapped in the mountain. We must stop him"._

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

At the base of the Mountain of Doki Doki, Evil Evil Ramon Guy turned in the direction of Cracktown and scowled; he'd been discovered already. The Nasties around him paused, watching him with weary eyes.

"Shame, I was hoping to have more time" he sighed. "Ah well, at least we'll get some guys out".

An explosion tore through a large section of the mountain, launching boulders and rubble into the air. A string of imprisoned Nasties leapt through the tear in the mountain's side, Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku among them. They clambered down to where Evil Evil Ramon Guy stood with his minion, a large group passing through before a transparent blue shield sealed the tear, keeping the others out. The trapped Nasties banged against the barrier, yelling and shrieking, wanting out of the mountain. Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku moved to Evil Evil Ramon Guy's side, gazing up at the prisoners.

"We've got a good number out" the latter chuckled.

"What about the others?" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku asked, watching his companions bang against he solid barrier.

"We'll get them out, eventually" Evil Evil Ramon Guy replied with a smirk. "First we have to get rid of those Magical Whip Girls, that should weaken the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato, then the barrier will fall and they'll be free to run about. Come, we've got work to do".

Evil Evil Ramon Guy lad the group away from the mountain and into his rapidly growing shadow, opening a passage to another place. On the opposite end of the darkness, they walked into the square where Lotten-Chan and Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess had been fighting, both on their knees as they clutched their heads. The other Nasties crawled out behind him, realising they had entered a human town. Across the battlefield, Lotten-Chan growled as her eyes met the sight of Evil Evil Ramon Guy, Yusei-kun followed the focus and widened his eyes when he recognised the man.

"That's-" he gasped. "Lotten-Chan, what's going on?"

"I wasn't able to get him when we fought" Lotten-Chan hissed, pressing her right hand against the side of her head tighter. Her eyes moved to Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku standing by the superior's side. "But I _did_ banish him, how did he get out?"

The portal behind the army closed, leaving them stranded in the dusty town, regardless, Evil Evil Ramon Guy smirked at the downed Magical Whip Girls.

"What do you want?" Lotten-Chan asked him bitterly.

"Were just surveying" Evil Evil Ramon Guy chuckled. "Don't worry your little heads; we'll march through her for real in mere days. The blackness behind him snapped open and swirled around, luring the Nasties inside. Evil Evil Ramon Guy stood still, allowing them to go through before him and set his eyes on Bad Kiryu Man, who watched him coldly. "How about it? You're like us; they want to get rid of you. Let's fight together".

"Kiryu!" Yusei-kun snapped in protest.

"I know where I need to be – it's not with you" Bad Kiryu Man mumbled at the Nasty leader.

Evil Evil Ramon Guy shrugged his shoulders, still grinning; even without Bad Kiryu Man, he was confident in his chances. "Suit yourself".

He passed through the blackness, which shrank until it was no more, leaving the four of various roles standing in the emptied plaza. The two Magical Whip Girls reverted to their human forms; enveloped in light as their clothes reshaped themselves to the outfits they had been wearing before their battle, Bad Kiryu Man approached them.

A hoarse cough came, the sound of someone clearing their throat. All four standing fixed their eyes on the sight of Pappa Ushio standing beside his bike, fists pressed against his hips. The officer stormed towards them, his face unusually cold and unsympathetic.

"What the fuck are you do-?" he barked.

"I already made that reference in the last chapter" Yusei-kun interjected, bringing the raised voice to a halt.

"Gah! I wasn't here, and I'm not interested in that old backstory, I have my files". His eyes scanned across the group before him, back and forth as they watched him silently. "Anyway, I think it's time you all went off home, but I have to speak with Lotten-Chan" his voice was unnaturally grim.

Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess cast a glance at her sister and moved on without hesitation, passing Pappa Ushio as he strode towards the remaining Marco daughter. Bad Kiryu Man laid his hand on Yusei-kun's shoulder, drawing the younger's eyes.

"Come on, let's go get you patched up" he spoke with a gentle smile – something that hadn't appeared since the days of Team Satisfaction.

"But Kiryu-"

"No buts, let's go" Bad Kiryu Man quickly repeated. He glanced at Lotten-Chan, flashing her a smile. "I'm sorry about all this, good luck".

Lotten-Chan offered him a nod and watched as Bad Kiryu Man led Yusei-kun away, keeping his hand on the shoulder of his former partner's son. They passed Pappa Ushio, leaving without another glance over their shoulders at the scene, the officer instead came to a halt in front of Lotten-Chan, crossing his arms over his chest and flaring his nostrils as he glared at her.

"So, you going to tell me what's going on?" he asked frostily.

"You're not going to believe it" Lotten-Chan sighed, her shoulders sagging. "But I'm a Magical Whip Girl, like my onee. We fight to protect everyone from the Nasties that get banished from the Mountain of Doki Doki. That's what onee and I were fighting over, because she's much stronger than I am, but I wanted to prove myself. The problem was that while we were fighting, some Nasties were able to get out of the Mountain of Doki Doki and they're planning to storm Cracktown, including the one that I stopped at the amusement park".

Pappa Ushio took a moment to gather everything and file it as one truth. He scratched the back of his head and sighed; the story _did_ sound farfetched, but he had heard stranger, always would. He opened his eyes; a glint of remorse flickered amidst the disappointment and frustration. It didn't feel right, but it had to be done.

"Listen, I know you're trying to do what's best, but if you're going to keep dragging Mean Barbara into everything, then I can't allow the marriage to go on" he sighed with a heavy heart. "You're a danger to those around you; did Yusei-kun get hurt? Was that what Bad Kiryu Man meant when he said about getting him 'patched up'?" Lotten-Chan's eyes fell, there was nothing she could say that would get her out of that one; Pappa Ushio had hit the nail on the head. "I have little choice but to annul the arranged marriage with Other Pappa. Furthermore, I think… I think it's best you and Mean Barbara keep apart".

"What?" Lotten-Chan cried in horror.

"I'm sorry, but it's for the best" he sighed, keeping his eyes from her. His left hand rose, pointing over his shoulder to the patrol bike parked at the edge of the open space. "Would you like me to take you home?"

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

A few days had passed since the clash of the Magical Whip Girl sisters when Pappa Ushio and Other Pappa formally called off the marriage. Since the fight, Lotten-Chan hid in her room; terrified of facing Oto-sama, not only over the matter of the marriage, but also over her extended travels across the globe. Her wounds healed in the days of hiding, restoring her to the same condition she had been in whilst travelling with Bad Kiryu Man. The boys frequently passed through her mind, but to get to them, she had to get past her family.

With half a week gone, Lotten-Chan dragged herself down the stairs within the mansion, finding Oto-sama seated with his back to the staircase. There wasn't enough time to choose between fleeing in secret or facing him over everything and getting it over and done with before he turned around, his arm sliding over the back of the sofa.

"Lotten-Chan" he grunted.

"Oto-sama" Lotten-Chan mumbled nervously. "I'm sorry, not just about the marriage, but for everything".

"Normally, I wouldn't say that you should be, but this case is an exception" Oto-sama growled. "We were dependent on good relations with Pappa Ushio and his family; we needed the money of combining our families to keep our business going. We have to rebuild out finances, we can't do that without them".

"I didn't mean-"

"And what have you been doing? Running off with random boys?" Oto-sama snapped fiercely. "That Fudo kid is living in a hotel with his drunk of a father and as for the other one; he's the prime suspect in the shooting at that old salon. You really think they're suitable people for you to be hanging out with? You _really_ think that I'm going to let you throw your life away for one of those useless slobs?"

Tears welled up in Lotten-Chan's eyes, her legs threw her forward and to the door, throwing it open and leaping through before Oto-sama could rise and catch her up. In floods of tears, she ran blindly, to the only place she felt she could be alone. And happy.

It took longer than she remembered, but she arrived at the edge of the shore, staring at the glittering ocean. The sight was normally enough to warm her heart and make everything seem better, but not this time. It did nothing to elevate her and numb the pain.

Behind her, Yusei-kun staggered towards the sand, pausing when he recognised her silhouette against the setting sun, he moved closer, his wounds sustained trying to protect Bad Kiryu Man almost completely healed.

"It's my fault, I should be the one to blame" he stated.

Lotten-Chan spun around, feeling her heart beat hastily as she realised she had been discovered. Her face softened, shaped into one of sorrow and regret as her friend moved closer.

"No, it's not. It's all my fault, Pappa Ushio was right" she sobbed. Yusei-kun tilted his head, oblivious to what it was the man had implied. "I'm a danger to everyone I care about; Bad Kiryu Man, Mean Barbara, Nico, West, you. You all keep getting hurt because of me and these stupid powers. I don't want them anymore, let onee save everyone".

Tears spilled down her face and towards the ground, splashing into the soft sand and buried quickly. A ring of energy began to flicker around Lotten-Chan, transparent blue power spinning around, encircling her. Yusei-kun groaned, lifting his hands when gusts began to blow wildly, coming from Lotten-Chan and the ring around her. The Marco daughter sobbed regardless, ignoring the power rotating around her, burning the sand and the dirt. Yusei-kun's legs bent slightly as he struggled to keep himself on his feet.

"Lotten-Chan, what are you doing?" he called.

"I'm getting rid of these powers, even if it means getting rid of myself" Lotten-Chan sobbed. "Everyone would be better off without the danger around me anyway".

"That's not true" Yusei-kun shouted in protest.

He stepped forward, battling the gales to move one step closer, and another. He stepped through the ring, shocks and burning sensations flowing through him, slowing him down as his body screamed out. But he pressed on regardless, closer to her, inching towards the confused and distraught girl. A sob rippled through the air, a cue for him to launch himself forward and wrap his arms around her. Lotten-Chan began to calm down, slowly, gradually, but her sobs began to grow in distances apart.

"That's not true; you saved me twice, the least I can do is save you" he stated.

"But I put you in danger to begin with" Lotten-Can hiccupped.

"I'd rather it be you than Kiryu" Yusei whispered with a smile. "Even if you're trouble, I like you Lotten-Chan. You're a friend, and I won't turn my back on a friend, not after before".

Lotten-Chan's eyes softened, final tears slipped down her damp cheeks. The lids moved further down, closing completely as another – softer – burst of energy departed from her body. The power flickered like a flame, dying slowly and dispersing across the beach. Yusei-kun called her name, a sound that echoed in the blackening mind. Her collapse dragged him down to his knees, watching over her anxiously; he wasn't sure exactly what had happened, but Evil Evil Ramon Guy was already preparing to attack. They had two days left.


	5. Chapter 5

**Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's – Magical Whip Girl Pretty Lotten-Chan**

by Yusei

_**Summary – **__"The journey of a woman in a distant town, growing as new challenges come her way. Including the desire to make her feelings known to a special someone. Pure crack"._

_**Disclaimer – **__I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh 5D's or any of the characters._

_**A / N – **__The final chapter, after months of meaning to get this done, Lotten should be in the character list just so I can list it as the only fic under his name, crazy no? This ended up much larger than I was expecting, I'm hoping it doesn't sound too serious. Look out for the surprise in this final instalment and congrats for surviving. Please read and review._

* * *

**Episode 5: We All Love You! Lotten-Chan!**

The setting sun's light lit the hospital room in the shade of flames; Yusei-kun ignored it all in favour of watching over Lotten-Chan from her bedside. A heart monitor blipped regularly, measuring the beating of Lotten-Chan's pulse, the only reassurance for Yusei-kun. He ignored the ticking clock and flying sun, spending hours that blended into a blank space of time. Lotten-Chan had been comatose since her breakdown, showing no signs of improving. Yusei-kun stayed by her side, feeling a twinge of guilt spiralling around inside of him. Lotten-Chan's life had been in order before he got too involved with her - since then, it seemed as though it was spinning out of her control.

He was waiting for her to wake up, so that he could apologise for all the trouble he had caused; the problem was that there were no signs of her improving. Yusei-kun sighed and picked himself up from the chair beside the bed, striding across to the window where the sky looked alight; Ramon's forces were planning to attack the next day. Without Lotten-Chan, Cracktown was almost defenceless; their only hope lied with Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess. But that didn't feel enough, Yusei-kun was aware that Lotten-Chan wanted to prove herself; he wanted her to achieve that and pressed his right arm against the glass, plating his forehead against it and watching the sky hopelessly. For now, he could only search for a way to get Lotten-Chan back.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Yusei-kun's first plan in Cracktown was to find Bad Kiryu Man; he arrived at the crossroads where Lotten-Chan first changed into a Magical Whip Girl to save him. Even by now, his memory was still hazy. He sighed, wanting to know more about that night, he still couldn't remember much; only jumping in front of Lotten-Chan to save her and then blackness. Her transformation and saving him were all a blur; the only reason he could even guess what she looked like was because he had seen her in that form since.

Using that time, he resolved to find Bad Kiryu Man, only to fail. He searched most of Cracktown, searching long after dusk until he finally conceded. There was another person he could turn to, but his hopes weren't high.

He made his way to the Marco mansion, knocking heavy-heartedly on the door. The knob twisted and the door crept away, revealing a narrow strip of Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess' face. Upon recognising Yusei-kun, she rolled her eyes and scowled.

"What?" she growled.

"I know you'd rather never see me again, but I need your help" Yusei-kun sighed.

"Whatever it is, I don't have time" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess scowled, looking back inside to the coffee table littered with her devices.

"Are you saying you don't care about your own sister?" Yusei-kun snapped.

"She should have been more careful" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess shouted back. "She shouldn't have gotten involved with people like you and that bastard Nasty. She knew being a Magical Whip Girl was going to be challenging and she ignored her responsibilities in favour of two yobs".

"So becoming a Magical Whip Girl means you have to give up your human life, sounds like a blast" Yusei-kun spat venomously. "It looks like being an expert takes away a lot more too. If I were Lotten-Chan, I think I'd rather be in a coma right now".

"This town is important" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess growled. "If I don't protect it, there won't be anything for Lotten-Chan to come _back_ to".

Yusei scowled; as much as he hated it, she was right - Cracktown was defenceless without the Magical Whip Girls, most people didn't know of the Nasties, so he couldn't enlist the help of the townspeople. He turned away, disgruntled and left Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess to her preparations. He was more use elsewhere.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Mean Barbara pushed open the door to Lotten-Chan's hospital room, clutching a bouquet of flowers wrapped in clear plastic. She crossed to room to the empty bedside where Yusei-kun's chair stayed, dragging a frown from her - he had been here, only not now. Her eyes moved to Lotten-Chan's face and the empty vase on the nightstand beside. It had been left empty; Yusei-kun had left nothing for Lotten-Chan, but her heart torn apart. Mean Barbara scowled at the thought of Yusei-kun walking out on her and walked around the bed, dropping the flowers delicately into the vase, patting them gently as she organised them into a lively bunch.

When they seemed perfect, she looked down. She had never admitted to anyone, maybe even herself, but Lotten-Chan was someone she treasured; it was only now that she realised what life would be like without her - boring, when each day would blend into the next without anything different to brighten them up. She frowned, wishing only that Lotten-Chan could wake up and see her standing there rather than Yusei-kun. She leaned forward, brushing a rogue hair from the classmate's forehead. Her face softened as she gazed at Lotten-Chan's, leaning forward.

She wanted to offer her a token of affection, even if it meant doing so while the recipient wasn't aware. Mean Barbara closed her eyes as she envisioned it, creeping closer. As their lips met within her mind, she froze, inches from completing the vision and stared. Something didn't feel right; why do it when there was nothing to feel from Lotten-Chan? Mean Barbara pulled back, sighing as she stood over her comatose friend. Kissing now wasn't right; there would be another time.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

It was noon the next day when Evil Evil Ramon Guy stood at the edge of Cracktown, a short distance between himself and the homes of ordinary people. Towering over him, Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku stepped forward, smirking darkly at the defenceless town. A shadow appeared from the street, that of a lone Magical Whip Girl. Evil Evil Ramon Guy watched in silence as Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess appeared, standing alone with three whips; one hanging from each arm and the other around her waist, projecting a fierce glare towards the enemy.

With the sole warrior standing opposite them, Evil Evil Ramon Guy's smirk deepened; entertained by the idea that not even Lotten-Chan and her sister could come together to defend the town. Looking over his shoulder to the army, he laughed.

"Well, boys. It looks like this will be over in three minutes at the most. Get her".

A mixture of Nasties rushed forward, galloping past Evil Evil Ramon Guy and Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku, both watching smugly. They moved forward like a tidal wave, swamping Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, who vanished behind their charge; her whips appearing over the heads of some as she launched her counterattack. Evil Evil Ramon Guy took a step back, smirking as the battle raged ahead of him. He began to retreat, sneaking away, followed by Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku.

"Now while she's busy and there's no-one standing in our way" he chuckled darkly. "Let's get that portal open again. Once we've accomplished that, we win no matter what those Magical Whip Girls try".

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

In the hospital, Yusei-kun was back by Lotten-Chan's side, having failed to enlist anyone to help wake her up. He'd been by her side throughout the night, falling asleep slumped against the edge of the bed and watched her still body with dim eyes, lined with dark underneath. Mean Barbara's flowers went unnoticed, assumed to have been left by a nurse. Yusei-kun moved his eyes to the clock opposite the bed, reading midday; the attack on Cracktown was happening.

A lump built up in his throat, he pressed down against it and managed to swallow it quickly before he looked back to Lotten-Chan, despair across his face. He leaned forward, grabbing one hand with both of his and clutched it tightly.

"Please, Lotten-Chan" he sighed desperately. "You've got to wake up. Everyone's counting on you. Your sister can't hold off an army of Nasties on her own. Even if you don't want to come back for them, come back for yourself. Do you really want to spend your life like this? Hiding in a coma?"

There was no response from the girl; just the rhythmic beating of the heart monitor, confirming with each bleep that she lived another could of seconds longer, stumbling through unconsciousness to find her way back. Tears built up in Yusei-kun's eyes; her silence was as good as a confession that she wanted to be asleep forever; there was nothing to assure him she was trying to find her way back. He fell forward, sinking his face into the white sheets, sobbing mutely; he couldn't weakness in front of Lotten-Chan, especially while she was in this fragile state. If he couldn't stay strong for her, what chance did she have?

"Please, Lotten-Chan" he cried out. "You _have_ to wake up!"

The monitor measuring Lotten-Chan's heart began to beat faster, squealing with hope. Her eyes twitched, opening slowly and her head moved, capturing the sight of Yusei-kun's hair shivering nearby. She smiled, glad that he could be there with her when she awoke, his hands clutching hers. With the other hand, she moved to touch his spiked hair, laying it on the back of his head and stroke it gently. Yusei-kun's head shot up, the squashed tears visible down his cheeks; he looked astonished that she had come back; both shocked and relieved.

"Lotten-Chan" he whispered.

"Thank you, Yusei-kun" she replied with a grateful glow in her eyes.

She pushed herself up, both sets of hands retreating; Lotten-Chan removed the mask over her face and looked to Yusei-kun, smiling happily. He stared at her, dumbfounded, unsure what to do now she was awake. He couldn't burden her with the news that Cracktown was under attack, but he had no idea how long it would last and how long the doctors would want her to stay after waking. As though she had read his mind, Lotten-Chan moved to a folder tucked into a plastic pouch on the other end of the bed. Inside was a pen, which she plucked and began to scribble onto the first sheet of paper inside, tearing it out and laying it on top of the folder, setting it squarely in the centre of the bed before clambering out.

"Lotten-Chan" Yusei-kun breathed nervously.

"I know Cracktown's in trouble" Lotten-Chan said, reaching for the clothes she had been wearing when she was last awake. "It's my fault. I've got to set things right".

"You've just woken up from a coma, you can't go" Yusei-kun protested, jumping up from his seat.

Lotten-Chan faced the bewildered boy, smiling gently. "Don't worry, Yusei-kun. Nothing will happen to me. But something bad will happen if I don't go to support my onee".

Yusei-kun watched Lotten-Chan with an anxious face; he understood her concern, but struggled to deal with the prospect of her fighting so soon after suffering emotionally and then waking from the resulting coma shortly before battle.

"Yusei-kun, could you wait outside for me?" she asked. "I promise I'll meet you at the front".

Hesitantly, Yusei-kun withdrew, moving back towards the door and slipped through. Pulling it shut and pressing his back against the barrier between them, sighing heavy-heartedly. No matter what he said, she wouldn't back down. He pulled away, pacing down the corridor and towards the entrance to the hospital.

Ten minutes later, Lotten-Chan arrived at the front door to join him; changed from the hospital gown to the clothes she had been in when her breakdown pushed her into the sleeping state. Yusei-kun turned to her, still looking uncomfortable with the plan.

"Are you sure you want to do this so suddenly?" he asked.

Lotten-Chan nodded whole-heartedly, smiling the entire time. "I owe a lot to Cracktown. And to Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess. This is something I both need and want to do".

"I'm staying with you then" Yusei-kun declared. "I don't want you to ever feel alone in this, because you're not. I may be a powerless human, but I'll do whatever I can".

Lotten-Chan was about to reply to the heart-warming declaration of loyalty when an engine purred onto the scene and tyres cracked the gravel away from the steps. Pappa Ushio's squad car pulled up, the officer looking over the door to his side at the two.

"Lotten-Chan" he called with surprise lacing his voice. "You're awake?"

"Yeah. I'm sorry for worrying everyone" Lotten-Chan replied brightly. "I know you're going to be here on behalf of Oto-sama, but… I won't obey whatever you're about to say. I'm going back to Cracktown with Yusei-kun. As a Magical Whip Girl".

Pappa Ushio remained stone-faced as Lotten-Chan spoke her defiance, cracking a smile afterwards. "I'm here not as an agent, but as an ally".

"What?" Lotten-Chan asked.

"I realise that even though I've been investigating the Team Satisfaction incident and you've been dragged into this all, there are more important things happening right now" Pappa Ushio replied. "If you need Yusei-kun with you to fight, then I won't stand in your way. What I will do is offer you a ride back to town".

"You mean… you're backing off?" Yusei-kun queried, astonished by the officer's kindness.

"For now" Pappa Ushio answered with a smirk. "Come on, while there's still a town to go home to".

Lotten-Chan snatched Yusei-kun's hand and raced to the car, throwing herself over the back door and landing on the backseat of the car, dragging Yusei-kun with her. Once the two crashed in behind him, Pappa Ushio slammed his foot on the acceleration pedal, launching the car forward and heading towards Cracktown.

Yusei-kun picked himself up from the seat, rubbing the back of his head and wincing; getting thrown into the vehicle like he was being kidnapped wasn't part of the plan. But his primary concern wasn't himself; he looked to Lotten-Chan, who was smiling as they raced ahead, the wind playing with her hair. She seemed much more confident than before, perhaps she had managed to achieve some soul searching during the coma, he certainly hoped so. The terror he felt as he watched her burn away her powers before lingered still in the back of his mind; he couldn't bear to see her suffer such frustration again.

When the car was heading towards the cliff that gave the three a view of Cracktown - the other end of the town from the battle - Lotten-Chan leaned forward.

"Pappa Ushio, stop" she commanded.

As an automatic response, Pappa Ushio slammed the sole of his boot down on the brake. The tyres yelled out and the car jumped to a halt. The three were thrown back into their seats, when they recovered; Pappa Ushio looked over his shoulder to Lotten-Chan.

"What?" he barked, somewhat annoyed by her sudden demand.

Lotten-Chan clambered out of the car, stumbling towards the edge of the rocky cliff. Yusei-kun jumped up, standing over Pappa Ushio as he watched.

"Lotten-Chan!" he yelled.

Before reaching the edge, Lotten-Chan slowed down to a halt, gazing over the town lying below. She turned around, smiling to the men behind her.

"You should go" she said.

"What?" Pappa Ushio asked.

"Go back to your family, you should be with them at this time" Lotten-Chan insisted. "And tell Mean Barbara… I'm sorry".

Yusei-kun scrambled out of the car, rushing to Lotten-Chan's side. Once he reached her, he turned to look back at Pappa Ushio, who leaned back casually in his seat, smiling at the two of them standing by one another.

"Alright, but I want to find out you're both alright when this is all over and done with" he added.

The car came back to life, Pappa Ushio reversed and turned away, heading down the trail that led to the town. Lotten-Chan focused again on the town below, waiting for them. The sun was closing in on the horizon, midday had passed and afternoon was reigning, in a few hours, the sun would sink and darken the sky, perhaps ushering in the reign of the Nasties. Lotten-Chan furrowed her brow with that outcome in mind, lifting her arms and allowing a brightness to surround her body. Seeing the glow in the corner of his eye, Yusei-kun looked to her, watching her transform into a Magical Whip Girl, clutching the lone whip in her hands.

"I may not be as good as my onee, but I can at least boost the chances of us winning against those guys" she said firmly, glaring sternly at the distant Mountain of Doki Doki. "Come on, Yusei-kun, let's go. I want you to be there".

"I wouldn't miss it" Yusei-kun answered with a smile.

The two darted down the trail beside the road Pappa Ushio had used, racing down the slope and onto the ground level with Cracktown. Three shadows hovered over them, causing Yusei-kun to pause and look upwards. What he found was more than three Nasties, there were nine altogether, floating around to give the impression there was only a trio.

"Lotten-Chan" he called.

Hearing her name, Lotten-Chan stopped and also looked upwards, squinting as she tilted her head back far enough to catch a glimpse of the ambush, gritting her teeth.

"If they're here, it's not looking good for onee…" she hissed.

The group dove at the pair. Lotten-Chan unleashed the whip, slapping two away temporarily, but alone, she couldn't hold the force off. Yusei-kun tensed his arms, unsure what to do, if he could do anything. Lotten-Chan opened her hand in his direction, about to command him to flee when two bangs shook them.

Two of the Nasties dropped down either side of Yusei-kun, who raised his arms over his head. His eyes opened and set themselves onto the corpses, large smoking holes in their bodies; the tactic looked familiar. The other Nasties hung back, anxious about attacking; only one snarled and lunged forward, only to receive a blast in the face and crash onto the ground in front of Lotten-Chan. She lifted her head sharply and looked around, searching for the source of the blasts.

"Bad Kiryu Man" she called.

Like his name had been a summoning call, Bad Kiryu Man emerged, jumping down from a ledge sticking out from the cliff-face, in his Nasty Form of Infernity Death Gunman. The weapons in his hands were smoking from their recent use. The surviving Nasties seemed uneasy at the prospect of facing one of their own, a couple growling and snarling. Bad Kiryu Man ignored their warnings and focused on Lotten-Chan and Yusei-kun.

"You two should go on ahead" he said calmly. "Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess won't last much longer on her own".

"Onee…" Lotten-Chan gasped.

"But, Kiryu-" Yusei-kun protested.

"Go on, Yusei" Bad Kiryu Man replied with a smile. "You've got better things to do than argue with me over something stupid like this".

Yusei-kun lowered his shoulders, nodding solemnly and then looked to Lotten-Chan. She didn't respond, but turned on her heels, dashing towards the battlefield ahead. After a moment of running, Yusei-kun came to a sudden halt. Without looking, Lotten-Chan sensed the stop of her friend and slowed herself, turning to face him.

"Yusei-kun…" she panted.

Yusei-kun set his eyes on Lotten-Chan, smiling calmly. "Go on and find your sister".

"What are you saying?" Lotten-Chan cried. "I thought you wanted to be there with me".

"I do" Yusei-kun replied. "But I know that Kiryu would also want to be there. I have to help him".

"But Yusei-kun" Lotten-Chan began to protest.

"I promise you I'll be there with you" Yusei-kun interjected quickly. "Just go, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess needs you more right now. I'll help out Kiryu and we'll both come back together".

Lotten-Chan hesitated, contemplating the likelihood of the two managing to return before long; Yusei-kun was an ordinary person, but Bad Kiryu Man had the powers of his Nasty form. She accepted Yusei-kun's decision, taking a step closer to the town without him. Without another word, she rushed off, leaving him behind to watch her charge ahead. Seconds without movement passed preceding Yusei-kun's retreat, storming towards where Bad Kiryu Man's shots could be heard driving themselves into the enemy. By the time he returned, another three were dead, leaving the last trio. Bad Kiryu Man was focused on one close by, another preparing to strike behind him.

"Kiryu!" Yusei-kun yelled.

Bad Kiryu Man looked to Yusei-kun, surprised that he had returned so quickly. Without knowing why, he leaned forward, moving his hands in front for the charge, Yusei-kun stepped onto them and was launched into the air, hovering over Bad Kiryu Man's head and falling towards the Nasty that had been planning to strike him from behind. He yelled out, positioning his right boot in line with the creature and yelled out.

The Nasty had no time to escape before Yusei-kun crashed on top of it, knocking it to the ground. The third, whom hadn't been about to battle with Bad Kiryu Man, watched its comrade fall underneath a normal human. Yusei-kun rose, standing over its ally and shot an icy glare at it, a distraction while Bad Kiryu Man pointed his pistol at its head and shot it dead. Yusei-kun set his eyes back on Bad Kiryu Man; it felt good to be able to work together after so long.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

Evil Evil Ramon Guy and Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku were close to the base of the Mountain of Doki Doki when a stamp behind them prompted them to freeze, watching over their shoulders as Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess stood, two whips in her hands, the third thrown over her shoulder, glaring darkly at the pair. Evil Evil Ramon Guy smirked smugly, amused by the fact that Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess had fought so hard through the army of Nasties to reach them.

"You were that eager to come back, were you?" she asked bitterly. "Why don't you let me help you the rest of the way?"

She launched the two whips forward, intending to snake them around the enemy and launch them into the mountain at once. Evil Evil Ramon Guy remained frozen, watching with a smirk, but Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku lunged forward, vanishing into a light and emerging the other side as the grey ape that was his Nasty form. With the staff in his large clawed hands, he knocked the whips away without much effort. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess growled, withdrawing the two and snatching the third from her shoulder. One alone was potentially a Three-Whip Grade enemy, together, she was going to need everything she had learned and all the power she had inside of her."Are you sure you don't want to wait for that little brat?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy asked with a chuckle.

"I don't need her help. I can take you both out by myself" the Magical Whip Girl replied venomously.

"Give it your best shot, I won't mock you if you last longer than I expect" Evil Evil Ramon Guy sniggered.

Malcolm the Neckerchief lunged forward, throwing all three whips towards the two ahead. Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku leapt out of the way, leaving Evil Evil Ramon Guy vulnerable. The three grabbed him, two wrapped around his arms and the other around his waist. Pleased with the result of her first attack, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess smirked, a look that faded when Evil Evil Ramon Guy began to chuckle coldly. A light shone at his feet, rising up to engulf the rest of his body, to fade and reveal his bone-decorated Nasty Form; Deathkaiser Dragon. Flexing his muscular arms, Evil Evil Ramon Guy snapped the whips from his arms, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess gasped with horror as they retreated to her, shorter than before.

She looked up with wide eyes as Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku lunged at her, slashing at her with a glowing hand, sharpened nails consumed in crimson dagger-shaped lights. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess fell back, crashing against the ground, groaning as she realised the severity of her predicament. Over his head, Evil Evil Ramon Guy appeared, smirking wickedly as he eyed his prey, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess gasped and cried out as she rolled over, barely evading the crashing Nasty. Dust and grains of the desert ground covered her, causing a small fit of coughing from the vulnerable Magical Whip Girl. She picked herself up, scrambling away and standing a short distance from the two Nasties hiding in the dust cloud.

Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess glared at the haze, launching two whips forward and into the unknown. Two stiffened quickly, worrying Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess; she hadn't been aiming to capture something, but attack them. The pair was yanked away from her, devoured by the cloud and leaving her with one whip. The smoke cleared to reveal Evil Evil Ramon Guy and Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku standing together, the former holding the whips.

"It's a shame, really" he chuckled. "Even your sister would have done a better job than this. She did manage to banish Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku here, after all".

"Lotten-Chan did that?" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess asked, surprised at the news that her sister had taken on such a powerful opponent and come out victorious.

"She did, indeed" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku growled. "Now I'll get to show her what suffering's like".

He threw himself forward and at Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, who gasped and jumped out of the way, facing the wild ape. From behind, Evil Evil Ramon Guy leapt up, holding the two whips stolen from their holder and smirked.

"Let's see what these can do _against_ a Magical Whip Girl" he chuckled, throwing them forward.

The whips snapped against Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess' back together, knocking an agonised cry out of her and knocking her to the ground; exhausted after fighting off the army and then having to deal with the superior creatures. She laid on her stomach, staring at the ground with despair in her eyes, expecting the end to come as Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku towered over her.

"Onee!"

Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess lifted her head, stunned by the voice that had called out to her in what she expected to be her last moment.

"Lotten-Chan?" she breathed weakly.

Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku turned to find Lotten-Chan storm towards them, throwing her whip towards him. He leapt out of the way, the whip falling short of Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, who stayed down, watching with heavy eyes as her sister came towards her and dropped onto her knees.

"Onee" she whispered anxiously.

"Lotten-Chan…" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess strained. "You're here…"

"Don't worry, onee" Lotten-Chan said. "I'll take over now. I can handle this. Yusei-kun and Bad Kiryu Man are with me".

"What?" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess struggled to ask.

"They're not with me right now, but I know they're fighting for us" Lotten-Chan answered with a smile. "It doesn't matter that Yusei-kun is a normal person or that Bad Kiryu Man is a Nasty; they know what good is, they're our friends and allies against this".

Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess said nothing as she contemplated her sister's words. Lotten-Chan glared at the two Nasties ahead, standing to face them with a single whip, ignoring the three scattered around her fallen sister.

"I won't forgive you for harming the people of this place" she called firmly. "You hurt Yusei-kun when he was protecting me; you've hurt my sister when she was working to help the people of this town. I'll make sure you can never disturb ordinary people ever again!"

"I'll handle her" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku growled, casting a glance at his superior. "You should work on opening the portal. I need revenge against this little brat".

"Of course, have fun" Evil Evil Ramon Guy chuckled, tucking his greyed wings against his back.

Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku faced Lotten-Chan with a fierce scowl. "I don't need Evil Evil Ramon Guy or my monkeys to take you out. Your selfish nature is enough to drive you into the ground; your ignorance to the importance of monkeys will topple you and I'll just push you over the edge".

"We'll see" Lotten-Chan growled. "I'll show you the people of humans".

She launched her sole whip forward, slapping Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku on the leg without dealing any kind of damage. The ape Nasty chuckled darkly, amused by the fact that Lotten-Chan's power had yet to truly restore itself enough to deal with him. When she retracted the whip, he charge forward towards her.

"There's a year for the monkey in the Zodiac calendar" he said. "Tell me where the Year of the Human or Magical Whip Girl is".

He lowered a large arm, intending to bring it down on Lotten-Cham, when her whip wrapped itself around the limb, freezing it in place, prompting a snarl from the

"There may be no year for them, but this is their home" the Magical Whip Girl replied sternly. "I won't let you destroy them for the sake of your twisted kind".

"'Twisted', you say" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku scoffed. "We don't banish you to a miserable place so we can live in luxury just at the bottom of the mountain".

"Your kind have yet to tame themselves" Lotten-Chan barked. "If you were more like Bad Kiryu Man, reformed and decent, you wouldn't have the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato trying to banish you to somewhere hidden away from the normals".

"So that makes you a freak as well" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku chuckled.

"Eh?" Lotten-Chan sounded, anxious over the meaning of the Nasty's comment

"They're considered normal and you're not" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku repeated. "Yet you fight for them. You're more like one of us over them. We should be on the same side against those who claim we're not natural".

Lotten-Chan bit her lip; what he said was true, if people knew about her, they could brand her a freak and shun her. But there were people who knew and accepted her as such; people like Yusei-kun, Pappa Ushio and Mean Barbara. With a flame inside burning, she pulled back the whip and launched it forward again, slapping Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku in the face, causing him to retreat, hissing in pain.

"Even if I'm closer to you than them, they acknowledge me" she growled. "There are people who have stuck by me even though they know the truth. Your kind is unruly and I can't trust them. I've been charged with the responsibility of protecting people. Clearly there is a reason why they're the ones needing protection and not you".

"Cocky little bitch" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku snarled.

Across the lower half of his body, another glow snaked around him, of an ominous crimson shade, rising higher across him. Lotten-Chan tensed the muscles in her limbs, readying herself for whatever was to come; she hadn't seen this kind of transformation; from one Nasty form to something involving the menacing aura. When the light faded, the Zeman form had grown and dyed red, the towering body encased in brown armour pieces and blonde hair standing up like the transformation had shocked the previous red hairstyle into the new shape.

"This is what's called a Meanie Max Nasty Form" the creature snarled like an animal. "Ancient Crimson Ape!"

"Whatever form you take, I'll bring you down" Lotten-Chan protested.

The enlarged ape threw itself forward, slamming its massive fists against the ground just in front of Lotten-Chan, launching her back. A cry broke out as her back hit the ground. The large shadow fell over her as the stronger opponent straightened himself.

"That's right, stay on the ground" he chuckled. "Sink into the ground and realise the importance of monkeys. Why do you think the Incans included one in their collection of the Nasca Lines? Until you accept that they're superior to humans, you'll fail to defeat me".

Lotten-Chan growled, picking herself up, shoulders hunched as she panted, struggling to catch her breath with a tense throat, expecting Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku to strike again in the next heartbeat. She swung the whip around, ready to launch her own counterattack, snapping it forward. The end of the whip smacked the large exposed chest of the ape, achieving nothing except a laugh from the unaffected Nasty.

"Is that truly the best you can do?" he asked mockingly. "Right now, I can see the Mind Monkey in you; your restless state of mind, just like those of all humans. You're desperate to win and struggling to think straight. That is why the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato wants you to protect humans - they're incapable of surviving on their own, they have to have some divine mistress. Don't worry, when we're done with you, we'll deal with her and then the humans will prove just how useless they are".

"You monster…" Lotten-Chan hissed. "I won't let that happen!"

"You won't be around to watch it all" Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku laughed. "In fact, the first thing I'll do when you're finished is search for a Crab-Eating Macaque and set it on your little friend, his hair looks pretty crab-ish".

"Don't you _dare_ hurt Yusei-kun!" Lotten-Chan barked.

Without further hesitation, she charged ahead, throwing the whip towards the ground, the bottom snapping against the cold earth with enough power to throw upwards. Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku had raised his hand and froze the moves, watching as the Magical Whip Girl soared over his head, keeping her eyes locked on him, upside-down by the time her head crossed his. As she descended towards the ground, she began to spin, taking the whip with her in a protective tornado. Just before her feet hit the ground, she released it, the whip wrapped itself around the enlarged Nasty, who growled as his bulky arms were pinned to his sides.

Lotten-Chan, crouched after landing, rose to stand straight, smirking confidently as she watched the Nasty struggle. Once his eye caught hers, he paused and smiled, a few of his jagged white teeth exposed. With a simple flex of his muscles, the whip snapped, breaking into pieces and laying scattered on the ground around him; watching the pieces fly, Lotten-Chan's eyes widened and mouth fell open in absolute horror - the weapon she had been given by the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato when she became a Magical Whip Girl had been destroyed so easily.

Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku smirked deeper at the expression across the face of the girl and lunged at her, snapping her out of her thoughts in time to see the vicious face diving at her. She cried out, jumping out of the way, but not quickly enough to avoid the fissure that the crashing Nasty created in the ground and endured several chunks of rock smacking her as she fell, landing face-down and twitching from the intense pain that swelled in her. Seeing her downed, the ape paced closer, standing in the light of the sun and laying his shadow over her.

"Pitiful humans… they called monkeys agricultural pests, but have to rely on others just to get by in this world" he chuckled darkly. "It's not just the Nasties that will benefit from getting rid of you; the monkeys as well. There are far too many species suffering because of humans; the soon you go, the better. That won't be long; by defeating you, I am now among the monkey gods!"

Lotten-Chan rolled over, setting her eyes on the face of the beast. "Not quite" she said. "You're not a monkey".

Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku scoffed, rolling his eyes at what he believed was ignorance. "What are you talking about?"

"You're an ape" Lotten-Chan answered.

"So?" the Nasty sniffed. "Monkeys are named after Moeke, who was the son of an ape".

"But calling apes 'monkeys' is scientifically incorrect" Lotten-Chan replied with a smirk. "You're not a monkey in either form, you can never be a monkey god".

Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku straightened his back, staring ahead without any real focus. Suddenly, his head exploded from the logic injected, making Lotten-Chan jump from the ground, his body toppling backwards. Lotten-Chan cringed at the sight, then turned her attention to Evil Evil Ramon Guy; he'd made significant progress as she fought to hold off his assistant. The dragon Nasty had managed to create a portal and was deep into the process of connecting it to another inside the Mountain of Doki Doki; it'd only take another minute or two to complete. Hastily, Lotten-Chan darted towards him, even without her whip, there had to be something she could do.

Her right hand began to glow, sliding through the air to create another whip, one of pure energy, flashing with all the colours of the rainbow; a portion of her power sacrificed to give her the temporary weapon. She sprung from the ground, flying at the dragon's back.

"Get away from that" she yelled, throwing the energy whip forward.

The whip snapped against Evil Evil Ramon Guy's back, earning a glare from the creature over its shoulder. Lotten-Chan growled, just like Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku, he was largely unaffected by her attacks, making any effort to stop him even more difficult. His tail crashed through the air, smashing into Lotten-Chan and throwing her to the ground. She picked herself up quickly, keeping a firm hold onto the energy whip; even if she couldn't beat him immediately, she had to do whatever it took to stop him from opening the portal. As soon as he achieved that, they'd lose. She cast the whip forward, wrapping it around the tail, tugging on it. The dragon body scraped an inch across the ground, drawing the creature's snarling jaws from the glowing vortex to the pest behind. Lotten-Chan glared at it with clenched jaws, looking faintly like she was struggling.

The dragon snorted and began to wag its tail, picking Lotten-Chan up from the ground and slamming her down on the other side of its body. It threw her in an arch in a cycle of blows without having to move its body. After a series of blows, Lotten-Chan crashed against the ground, her hands loose on the whip, which slipped from her grasp. Her body was battered, bruised and bleeding; she hadn't the energy to stop the head Nasty from completing his plan now. Evil Evil Ramon Guy snorted with amusement and set his eyes on the glowing portal; the process was almost complete.

Seconds before the two ends would link, a green light shone from the centre of the blue oval, shocking Evil Evil Ramon Guy. The dragon leapt back, removing its claws from the light and growled, frustrated by the sudden interference. He glared down at Lotten-Chan, who remained down - it couldn't have been her. He searched the deserted battlefield, finding Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, exhausted but standing, her hands positioned in front of her, waving plumes of green energy matching the centre of the portal; she was the one meddling with the plan.

"There's nothing you can do if you have to start all over again" she growled.

"And how exactly do you manage to achieve that choice?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy asked with a low snarling voice.

"By sealing that portal" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess barked. "Even if it means relinquishing my powers".

Evil Evil Ramon Guy's eyes widened when he looked over his shoulder at the portal, an egg-shaped barrier of transparent green energy was growing around it, keeping him from progressing any further. By sacrificing her powers, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess had permanently sealed it; eventually, her power would overpower the energy trapped inside and both would disintegrate into nothing. Infuriated by the interruption, Evil Evil Ramon Guy snarled at the former-Magical Whip Girl and her sister, who stumbled as she rose.

"It would have been far less painful for you both if you'd just let me finish the plan" he roared. "Now you can see just why I'm the one who's leading the Nasties".

Just like with Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku; a crimson light began to spiral around Evil Evil Ramon Guy's form. The difference that followed was that once the light consumed him completely, it was dyed black, resembling shadows rather than glowing power. The veil broke away, unveiling a much stronger version of the dragon he had been a moment before, a nightmarish face grinning from the dark bony chest underneath the dragon head sent a chill down the sisters' spines. Underneath the creature was a nest of darker bones in the place of legs, it was permanently floating.

"This is the strongest a Nasty can evolve" a demonic voice spoke through the dragon mouth. "Demak the World-Renowned Monkey Otaku could easily have ruled had I not this form, but only a select few possess it. What he evolved as far as was a Meanie Max Nasty Form, I, however, have broken the limits and achieved a Supreme Buster Nasty Form".

"What?" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess asked, panting after using up so much energy.

"My standard Nasty Form is DeathKaiser Dragon" Evil Evil Ramon Guy spoke. "This form is called DeathKaiser Dragon/Buster. One of a select few that can achieve this stage. If you struggled with a Meanie Max Nasty Form, you stand no chance against me now".

Lotten-Chan looked to Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, who wore the uniform of a Magical Whip Girl, but lacked every other element of magic inside of her.

"Onee" she cried. "What'll we do?"

Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess gave Lotten-Chan a solemn face. "We do nothing" she sighed. "Only you can stop him now; my powers have been surrendered to stop him from opening that portal. In time, both will vanish. I'm a normal now…"

"But onee!" Lotten-Chan cried. "You're the strongest Magical Whip Girl there is".

"And now you have to be stronger" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess declared firmly. "You wanted to prove yourself before; now's your chance".

Lotten-Chan shrank; she wanted to be the better of the Marco sisters, but she hadn't been planning to achieve that in a high-stakes fight against the strongest Nasty yet. She looked up at the beast anxiously, its snarling faces unnerving her. Sensing her doubt, Evil Evil Ramon Guy launched himself at her, opening his dragon jaws to bite down on her. Lotten-Chan leapt out of the way, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess scrambling out of the line of fire with a second to spare. Lotten-Chan skidded to a halt nearby, noticing the energy whip lying underneath the dragon, guessing it had shed the weapon when it evolved. She darted for it, sliding underneath the creature and snatching it from the ground.

Above her, however, Evil Evil Ramon Guy had heard the dive and crashed a skeletal hand into the ground, creating a crater that threw Lotten-Chan in the air with the rubble. She crashed onto the ground, twitching again as pain flared across her body. She struggled to lift her back from the ground, sitting in the shadow of the demonic creature.

"Lotten-Chan!" a yell came.

Both the named party and Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess turned to find that from the direction of Cracktown, Yusei-kun and Bad Kiryu Man were racing towards them, ignoring the fearsome appearance of the ultimate Nasty towering over them. Bad Kiryu Man charged faster, whipping out the two guns in his possession and began to fire at the creature. Evil Evil Ramon Guy hissed as the bullets dug into his strange skin and flapped his wings, creating gusts that halted both Bad Kiryu Man's attack and Yusei-kun's charge, both raising their arms defensively while trying to stand against the storm. A sphere of flames built up between Evil Evil Ramon Guy's jaws and flew forward, crashing into Bad Kiryu Man, who was thrown back close to Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess; his body smoking.

"Bad Kiryu Man!" Lotten-Chan cried.

Yusei-kun resumed his charge, rushing to Bad Kiryu Man's side, stunned to see the scolding across his friend's body, the clothes covering him singed and black; he couldn't kneel down beside him, fearful that if he touched the reformed Nasty, he would only cause him more pain. A shrieking roar came from the dragon Nasty looming over the four, drawing Yusei-kun's eyes. The dragon swung its arm across, knocking Lotten-Chan back down and snatching Yusei-kun from the ground in one hand. The boy struggled, his arms trapped in the monster's grasp, he was powerless to free himself, Lotten-Chan shook off the dizziness that followed another throw and gasped when she realised that Evil Evil Ramon Guy had taken the powerless human.

"Yusei-kun!" she cried.

Evil Evil Ramon Guy chuckled and twisted himself, releasing Yusei-kun as he faced the Mountain of Doki Doki and throwing him into the rock wall almost as tall as him that stood guard around the base of the mountain. Yusei-kun cried out as he slammed against the wall, falling limply to the ground, where he crashed in a cloud of sand and dust, laying face-down with pools of sand having jumped on him.

"Yusei-kun, hang on, I'm coming" Lotten-Chan yelled.

"No" Bad Kiryu Man hissed, pushing himself up from the ground. "You have to take out this guy, I'll look after Yusei".

"But-" Lotten-Chan whimpered.

"Before he became so strong, Evil Evil Ramon Guy looked up to me; this is my fault, but he's grown too strong for me" Bad Kiryu Man sighed. "Only you've got the power to take him down. I'll make sure Yusei's okay, but if you can't defeat him, then no-one will be safe".

Lotten-Chan nodded, sending Bad Kiryu Man on his way, limping across the battlefield. She, meanwhile, glared up at Evil Evil Ramon Guy; as much as she hated it, what everyone said was true - she was the only one who had the power to stop him. She had managed to take on strong Nasties that she shouldn't have been able to defeat; she planned to pull off another miracle. Her fingers tightened around the rainbow-energy whip that hung beside her, ready to take on Evil Evil Ramon Guy in a duel to the death.

Before she could, however, a golden light shone from the cloudy sky, rings of light rippling across the grey veil.

'_Lotten-Chan'_ a voice came.

"Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato…" Lotten-Chan gasped.

'_A Supreme Buster Nasty Form is impossible to defeat on your own'_ the voice warned. _'I cannot set foot on Earth to assist you, but I have a gift that should give you the power to defeat this demon. The power of other Magical Whip Girls and drawn from the bonds you share with your friends; regardless of whether they are like you, Nasties or ordinary people'_.

Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess sat up, gazing in awe at the golden light at the centre of the ripples. Bad Kiryu Man dropped to Yusei-kun's side and picked him up, sitting the collapsed boy in his arms; they too watched the light with amazement and mystery filling them.

'_This is the only way for you to win in the state of the situation'_ the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato added. _'Lotten-Chan, I bestow on you the power of PLOTZ'_.

A wide golden ray crashed to Earth, engulfing Lotten-Chan and producing wild gales that forced Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess crouch on her hands and knees while Bad Kiryu Man wrapped his arms around Yusei-kun, protecting the both of them. The dragon beast growled, glaring up at the opening to the heavens above where its ultimate enemy was waiting.

Lotten-Chan opened her arms to the side, feeling new energy flooding her being, her eyes snapped open as a golden light worked its way around her, transforming her Magical Whip Girl uniform into a new attire completely. The white fabric reached up and left Lotten-Chan's collar and shoulders exposed, clinging down a fraction of her legs; fluffy gloves and boots matching accompanied. A headband with two cat ears sprouted from her hair, a matching choker around her neck included a red heart in the centre and white-feathered wings expanded from the back of her outfit. Nine tails grew from her rear, flailing lively. Lotten-Chan opened her eyes to reveal the new burning flame, holding up the whip she had clung onto the entire time. The whip grew in size and power, becoming twice the length it had been.

"What- What the hell is this?" Evil Evil Ramon Guy yelled at the cat girl-suited girl as the golden light faded.

"This is the ultimate form of a Magical Whip Girl" Lotten-Chan declared strongly. "Just like you have your Supreme Buster Nasty Form, I have Eternal Magical Whip Girl".

"Sounds like an ass pull" Bad Kiryu Man lamented. "The Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato stepped in just now to help out?"

Yusei-kun ignored his complaint and watched as Lotten-Chan remained hovering in the air, the wings stretched out either side resembling a moon warrior kept her from falling back to the desert. She lifted the glowing whip above her head, her hands as far apart as they could reached.

"Now, demon" she yelled. "I'll banish your forever to the Mountain of Doki Doki. You'll never threaten another person - be it for Nasties or monkeys - ever again".

"What do monkeys have to do with this?" Bad Kiryu Man asked himself.

"I refuse to acknowledge your existence" Lotten-Chan yelled, straightening the portion of whip that she held. "Be gone forever!"

With an almighty swing, Lotten-Chan fired the whip forward, colliding with the skull face on the dragon's chest. Evil Evil Ramon Guy roared in shock, the whip snaking further to capture the hand that had clutched Yusei-kun just a few moments earlier. Evil Evil Ramon Guy snarled, trying to yank his claw away, to no avail. The whip continued from there, spinning around him until his arms and wings were pinned either side of him. The Nasty threw his head around, opening his jaws and creating another orb of flames that he ejected in Lotten-Chan's direction. A large sphere of golden energy surged from the girl's body, dissolving the attack the deeper into the light it travelled.

The beast then began to stamp in a vain attempt of breaking free, or at least crushing one of the trio still on the ground. One of its feet smashed into the ground close to Bad Kiryu Man and Yusei-kun, the former tucking the latter's head under his own, hunching over the boy as though he could survive as a barrier should the creature guess correctly and crush them. Lotten-Chan frowned, aware of the peril her friends and family were still in; her arms rose skywards, prompting the whip to glow white. Evil Evil Ramon Guy yelled out as he was slowly absorbed by the white light, reduced gradually into an immense white orb, still bound by the sentinel whip around it.

"Return to where you belong" Lotten-Chan yelled. "Your world and ours are separate, never break the barrier again. I banish you, forever".

The orb crashed into the peak of the Mountain of Doki Doki, sinking through the rock and leaving only the whip behind that raced back to Lotten-Chan's side, shrinking to its original size. With the battle complete and Cracktown saved, Lotten-Chan smiled, looking down at the others, who picked themselves up and staggered towards one another. Without moving her wings, Lotten-Chan descended gracefully, relieved that they could all be together without another adversary threatening to destroy them. She landed between Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess and Bad Kiryu Man, who stretched one of Yusei-kun's arms over his shoulder, the boy smiling at the Eternal Magical Whip Girl.

"Lotten-Chan" he said brightly.

"I'm glad you're alright, Yusei-kun. And you too, Bad Kiryu Man" Lotten-Chan beamed at the two. "Maybe now the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato will understand that you're not bad forever".

"But that isn't what matters right now" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess interjected with a smile of her own. "You're the strongest Magical Whip Girl there has ever been".

"Sorry, onee" Lotten-Chan replied with a guilty smile. "I _was_".

"Huh?" the older sister sounded, shedding her grin.

"By using the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato's PLOTZ to accelerate into an Eternal Magical Whip Girl, my powers were completely overridden and when I change back, I'll have surrendered them just like you did".

"That's not fair" Yusei-kun protested. "You worked so hard to become so strong, now you're going to lose all that?"

"It's alright, Yusei-kun" Lotten-Chan insisted softly. "I achieved what I wanted; I was the strongest".

"He has a point, though" Bad Kiryu Man sighed. "You're essentially being punished by losing your powers for becoming such a capable person. Does that happen every time someone becomes the most powerful?"

"Guys, it's alright" Lotten-Chan asserted. "If the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato feels I've done all I can, then so be it".

Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess dropped her shoulders, looking downcast at the ground; she had been a Magical Whip Girl in secret for several years now, it was going to be difficult to live without that secretive responsibility.

'_Lotten-Chan, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess'_ the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato's voice returned. _'You have both done remarkably, and as your friends have assumed, it would be an injustice for you both to surrender your power after such a battle. There are other Nasties out there undetected, who have yet to reveal themselves. I cannot simply allow my two strongest Magical Whip Girls to go without a means of fighting them off'_.

"What are you saying?" Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess asked.

'_Even though you have both relinquished your powers, I can bestow on you the magic you began with when you first became Magical Whip Girls'_ the voice continued. _'You can both begin again, side by side, and train together. You needn't be alone anymore; together you can grow and compete to see which sister is strongest on their own'_.

"That's wonderful" Lotten-Chan gasped thankfully. She opened her arms to the Eternal form she continued to wear. "I was hoping I wouldn't have to give up costumes like this".

'_I have one more task to perform before I leave and allow you all to return home'_ the Goddess of Kyuute Poppu Haato added solemnly. _'I must use the power of PLOTZ once more to erase the minds of all the normals in Cracktown to ensure none have understood what has happened'_.

"What? You can't" Yusei-kun cried. "I don't want to forget what's happened. It's brought me closer to Lotten-Chan, it's rebuilt my bond with Kiryu. Are you truly willing to take that all away so suddenly?"

"Pappa Ushio and Mean Barbara were both aware of what was happening" Lotten-Chan sighed. "They, too, were accepting and even helped us. It's not right that they forget either".

'_Fear not. For their helpful actions, I shall allow Mean Barbara, Pappa Ushio and Yusei-kun to retain their memories of what has happened'_ the Goddess assured. _'I shall also ensure that Bad Kiryu Man is no longer targeted. The rest, however, must forget'_.

"I understand" Lotten-Chan answered. Nico, West and Oto-sama all appeared in her mind; it was best that they forget and remember life as normal rather than the strange world that the others had ventured into.

The clouds hanging over the area parted, opening up the orange sky, a blue blanket flowing across it that descended in a shower of glimmering sparkles, scattered all over the town to erase the memories of the ordinary people who may have seen the Nasties attacking town or the battle in the distance. The fallen Nasties reverted into white orbs, streaming back after Evil Evil Ramon Guy and into the Mountain of Doki Doki. Life would return to normal. Lotten-Chan, Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess, Bad Kiryu Man and Yusei-kun watched the display from the raised battlefield, smiling as they could contemplate what lied ahead of them.

* * *

**~Lotten-Chan~**

It was a few days later when Lotten-Chan left the Marco household, having confessed to her sister that she was hoping to get some taiyaki. Malcolm the Neckerchief Princess also called for the sister to get some for her; they had bonded remarkably well since the battle at the Mountain of Doki Doki. Lotten-Chan jogged through the streets of the town, smiling as she blended in with ordinary people while holding a precious secret. She reached the plaza where the taiyaki stand always waited, standing in front of it, Yusei-kun stood.

A blush coloured Lotten-Chan's face, which she managed to hide quickly as she paced closer to him. The boy noticed the movement in the corner of his eye, clutching the bag of taiyaki, he smiled at her under the dusk sky.

**End**

Now brace yourselves for the sequel.


End file.
